You're Not Alone
by jimalim320
Summary: In the aftermath of Cheryl's suicide attempt, the redhead finds herself in a whole new world, with new friends, a new home, and a new relationship? Taking place in the season 1 finale, with Veronica and Cheryl at the Pembroke, what would have happened if Veronica had never left Cheryl alone? *suicide mentions*
1. Aftermath

She didn't go to the jubilee as planned…

Of course she didn't. How could she possibly after the events that transpired not even an hour ago?

Cheryl Blossom. Cheryl Bombshell Blossom. HBIC Cheryl Blossom just attempted suicide.

Fortunately, she wasn't successful like her father was a mere 24 hours ago.

Veronica insisted she take Cheryl to her place to warm her up, while the others took Archie to the hospital to get his most likely broken hand fixed up. In hind sight Veronica admits, Cheryl probably should have gone for a checkup too, but Veronica had a one-track mind, and the only goal she had was to get Cheryl in front of a warm fire.

….

After convincing her mom to go to the jubilee, Veronica made her way back across the room the still shivering girl in front of the fire. She ran her hand over Cheryl's shoulders a moment, whispering a soft "be right back" before disappearing to her room. She arrived a moment later with a dry set of pajamas. "Here, they're a little less glamorous than your usual, but they're warm."

Cheryl takes them from Veronica with a soft smile, and turns back to the fire. They sit in a slightly uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Cheryl gets up to excuse herself and change. Veronica takes the opportunity to change her own clothes, finding another comfortable set of sweats to wear.

The two girls reconvene at the fire minutes later, still not talking. Veronica felt like she should say something, something comforting, but she was at a loss. What do you say to a girl you hardly know, who just tried to kill herself? She instead settled for placing her hand atop Cheryl's, gently rubbing her thumb back and forth.

Almost immediately, Cheryl took that as a invitation to cuddle up close to the brunette. Veronica wrapped her arms around the redhead who buried her head in Veronica's neck.

After some time, Veronica shifted slowly, grabbing a nearby pillow, and pulled them in a more comfortable laying position. Cheryl never cried, or she did a very good job of hiding it Veronica thought. Instead she was incredibly quiet and still. Veronica lightly squeezed the redhead every now and then to remind her she wasn't alone.

They laid like that for hours, until they inevitably fell asleep. It wasn't until Hermione got home around 11, Veronica woke up.

…

"Mom she tried to commit suicide today. I'm not leaving her alone." Veronica pleaded, trying to convince her mother to let Cheryl stay the night.

Hermione glanced over Veronica's shoulder at the still sleeping girl laying in the living room. She agreed and excused herself to her room for the night, but not without a glass of wine.

…

Cheryl woke up to Veronica gently stroking her face, "hey why don't we go sleep on something a little more comfortable?" The brunette extended a hand to help her up. Veronica lead them to her room, while not as large and lavish as the redheads, it still contained an air of upper class charm.

Cheryl let's Veronica practically tuck her into bed like a child. She's never been cared for like this, and she's savoring every second she can get. She knows she should say something, explain herself, but she also found herself at a loss.

Minutes after they settled into their previous position from the living room, Cheryl curled up into Veronica's side, Veronica resting her head atop Cheryl's and arms wrapped around her, Cheryl broke the silence, "you found me"

Veronica didn't hesitate to answer the redhead, "Archie did really, he–"

Cheryl cut her off, "but I only sent you that message, you are the reason I'm here." She lifted herself up to look into Veronica's eyes, "Thank you."

Veronica felt bad taking all the credit, Archie really did the most, breaking his hand in the process. Her face must have given her away cause Cheryl chimed in as if she read the brunette's mind, "don't worry, I'll be thanking Archie, Betty, and Jughead later, but I don't think you realize how much I owe you."

Veronica's eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment before her face softened, "Cheryl you don't have to do this."

Cheryl reached out, quieting Veronica's protests, "No, please, I need to at least say this before I chicken out...you have been one of the only people whose showed me real kindness since Jason died, and I've been too stubborn to accept it. I think that's part of the reason why I sent you that message, that you might actually care enough to try to stop me."

Veronica just nodded, trying to keep herself from getting emotional, she felt had to be strong for Cheryl, she took the redhead's hand in her own, "Cheryl I can't begin to imagine how you must feel losing Jason, your dad, but I hope you know now you're not alone. Betty, Archie, Jughead, even Kevin, we're here for you if you let us. And no matter what you'll always have me." She released her hand to push a stray hair behind Cheryl's ear.

"I know that now." Cheryl's voice cracked, the tears that evaded her for most the night finally caught up with her, silently falling with increasing veracity. Veronica, much like before, pulled her in close eventually lowering them on the bed so they could rest more comfortably. "I'm still cold" Cheryl muttered after a moment, snuggling as close to the brunette as possible. Veronica let out a soft laugh at this and pulled the covers up around them. She placed a soft kiss to Cheryl's temple before squeezing her tighter. And for the first time since Jason died, Cheryl fell asleep feeling like she wasn't alone.


	2. Morning After

**A/N:** Hey all! I wasn't planning on continuing this fic, but I had a few requests and I finally got an idea I liked. I might periodically update this fic from now until whenever season 2 starts. DISCLAIMER I am very busy with 2 jobs at the moment, where I don't have much free time, so this will be updated VERY irregularly. I wanted to keep this chapter more Cheryl POV since last chapter was mostly Veronica. Anyway I hope you enjoy this random update!

Cheryl wakes up in a cold sweat. It takes her a moment for her senses to kick in and take in her surroundings. The room she's in is unfamiliar to her, she doesn't recall the events of the last 17 hours. At least, not at first.

She turns her gaze to the weight on her chest. Veronica. The raven haired girl had her arm wrapped around Cheryl's stomach and her forehead was pressed against the redhead's shoulder. That's when her memory starts flowing back to her. The lake. The water. Her body began shivering just thinking of it.

Cheryl remembers Veronica being her saving grace, well her and a bloody handed Archie. (Well even Betty and Jughead deserved some credit.) But Veronica, she was there for the aftermath. Veronica held her close on the ride back to the Pembrook, desperately trying to keep her warm. Veronica started a fire for the girl to sit in front of, slowly dethawing. Veronica made her hot chocolate to warm her insides as well. Veronica held her close, helping her drift off to sleep. Veronica was there for everything, even when she didn't have to be.

Cheryl took a moment to study the sleeping girls face. She looked tense. There was a sternness to her features, something that shouldn't have been so evident in a sleeping figure. She gently shifts to her side so she can get a better view of Veronicas face. Her brow was furrowed, a deep crease spliting her forehead. Cheryl wondered if she was responsible for Veronica's restlessnes. She reaches out to lightly stroke the crevice. Veronica twitches slightly in response, her features softening the slightest bit.

Cheryl continues to soak in every detail of Veronicas features. She's never been so enamored looking at someone before. Veronica was strikingly beautiful, Cheryl admits this, but something about the soft curve of her chin, the high cheek bones, and the lone freckle by her ear, that made Cheryl's stomach flutter. Moments later Veronica's eyes did the same thing.

"Hey." Veronica's voice is barely above a whisper. Her eyes still fighting the light, flickering open and close.

"Hey." Cheryl whispers back, not sure what to say, but afraid to ruin the calm moment. She knows they have to return to reality eventually, but right now she just wants to enjoy some peace.

Veronica, adjusted to being awake, pokes fun at her bedmate. "Were you staring at me?"

"No." Cheryl practically scoffs.

Veronica hums in disagreement, "Mmmhmm"

"Ok says the girl who's arm is firmly wrapped around my waist." Veronica tightens her hold on Cheryl, dragging her as close as she can manage with a dead arm.

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it. Plus you started it. Who would be thought the queen of ice would be such a cuddler?"

Silence. The word ice, broke the fun, and dare I say flirty, atmosphere. A tension fills the small space between them. So much for the escape from reality. Veronica instantly regrests her poor choice of words, internally chastising herself for her carelessness.

Cheryl rolls onto her back, and stares at the ceiling. Veronica's arm slowly falling off the other girls stomach. She retracts her arm altogether, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry." Cheryl breaks the silence, her voice barely audible.

"Cheryl you-" Veronica tries to protest. She's the one who ought to apologize, but Cheryl cuts her off.

"I should have talked to you." She turns her head to lool at Veronica, "When you asked me what was wrong. I should have just spilled my guts right then and there. Instead of putting you all in danger. I should have known." Tears begin to form in the redhead's eyes.

"No." Veronica's voice is stern. She reaches out to grab hold of Cheryl's hand. "We should have known." She assures. "We should have noticed you were struggling. I know we aren't all the best of friends, but we as a people need to start doing a better job of taking care of one another." She leans in closer to the quietly crying girl, "Cheryl, I promise I'm going to help take care of you." Her grip on Cheryl's hand tightens in affirmation.

"I don't deserve your help." Cheryl's voice is weak. Veronica has never seen her so broken. Not even the image of her on the ice, could top this.

"Of course you do. You deserve to have some company on this journey, if only to be there when you need to cry. We all need a shoulder to lean on." Veronica tries to keep her voice steady, but inside she's an emotional wreak. "Do me a favor though, stay with me." Her coice starts to waver as tears begin to fall from her own eyes. "I don't want you back in that toxic house. I need to know you're safe."

Cheryl only nods and begins to cry harder at Veronica's request. Never has she felt so wanted. She curls into Veronica's chest, the feeling of the other girls arms wrapping around her comforts her. They stay entangled in each other's arms for what feels like an eternity. Cheryl cries herself to sleep, while Veronica presses light kisses to her temple. Sleep welcomes her soon after. The two sleep much more soundly this time around. The adrenaline from the lake fully worne off. Veronica's features don't hold as much tension ad before. Her forehead crease barely visible. Cheryl hardly moves, no tossing and turning like she usually does. They sleep for another several hours, each of them grateful it's Saturday. They'll face the music eventually, but for now they just seek solice in each other's arms. And that was enough.


	3. Early Evening

A/N: Hey yall! So I actually got the idea for this chapter pretty quickly so I kinda wrote it in my head while at work so when I did have some time to sit down I could get it written quick. I also have the outline for the next chapter ready to go as well, I hope to get that posed soon. This fic is going to move slow in regard to the timeline, I won't really be jumping ahead at least not for a while, so each chapter will take place right after the previous one. Disclaimer, I don't know anyone who has committed/attempted suicide, so I'm just as lost as Veronica is in this. I'm trying my best to write this in a real and believable way, while also staying true to the tone of the show. In all of my fics I try to stay as in character and true to the source material as possible so I hope that care comes across in my writing. If anyone with actual experience in these types of situations take issue with how I'm depicting it, I sincerely apologize and want you to know I'm not trying to belittle this issue in any way. With all that said I hope you enjoy this update and look to another one coming in the next couple days or so (Hopefully!) Please review/talk to me! I'm also on tumblr at "iwouldneverleaveher" if you want to message me there!

They slept the day away. It was early evening when Cheryl stirred out of her slumber. The sun beginning to set. Veronica still sleeping. She takes the opportunity to wash up, slowly releasing herself from Veronica's embrace.

In the hall, Cheryl rubs into Hermione, quite literally. "Oh I'm sorr-" she can't finish her apology before Veronica's mother chimes in with a rather hastey tone.

"You're still here. Where's veronica?" She doesn't even wait for an answer and quickly brushes past her, storming toward Veronica's room.

Cheryl practically rubs the rest of the short distance to the bathroom, in hopes to stay far from whatever screaming match the two Lodge women were certainly about to start.

It's the first time Cheryl sees her reflection since the incident. She can't help but stare at the mirror, obsessed by the image. Never before has Cheryl seen herself in such an unkempt state. Her skin was paler than normal, as if that possible. It felt more blue in undertones, as opposed to the warmer hint of orange that was usually there just below the surface. Her eyes were heavy, puffy bags weighing them down. Too much crying she thought. They also lost some of their shine. She felt she looked like an empty shell, devoid of all emotion or feeling. There was a cut on her forehead, most likely from the jagged ice she fell through. How she didn't notice this sooner was a question she mulled over. Surely due to shock, she suppoeses. Cheryl looses herself in the moment, staring at the mirror. When did she become so broken?

Minutes passed. Cheryl couldn't tear herself away. It wasn't until she heard a muffled "…she's not leaving!" Coming from Veronica's room. She opened the door of the bathroom, just in time to see a furious Hermione to storm through the hallway and into her own bedroom. She paused a moment, unsure of what to do, when veronica made her way over to her. "Are you hungry? You should really probably eat something."

They decide to go to Pops. Veronica didn't have much at her house, and Pops really is one of the only places in town. At first Veronica wasn't sure about leaving the apartment. Neither of the two had been outside since the lake. They hardly left the confines of Veronicas bedroom. It felt weird to be out and about in the real world again, after spending so much time sequestered away, ignoring reality.

Veronica drove her mom's car across town. Hermione was too busy sulking over a bottle of wine to even notice her daughter had left. The car rise was silent aside from the soft hum of the wheels on the asphalt. Veronica decided against turning the radio on. She wasn't sure why, maybe the uncertainty of picking music Cheryl would actually enjoy, or maybe in fear of playing something the queen bee would make fun of her for liking. Either way silence felt like the better option.

Upon entering the diner Veronica's attention was directed to the table of misfits, who for some reason she didn't expect to see, knowing full well they meet here every Saturday night. Betty, Bughead, and Archie were sitting in their usual booth laughing over milkshakes. The sight was painful for Veronica. It felt weird seeing her friends so happy and carefree when just a day ago they were all wrapped up in the literal life or death drama of Cheryl Blossom. However she was still in it, she elected herself to keep Cheryl close, to see her through some kind of 'recovery period' while her friends chose to distance themselves. It wasn't that they didn't care, or didn't want to help, it's just that they had no idea what to do, not that Veronica really did either, but she was trying her best.

After a short moment Veronica locked eyes with Betty, who timidly raised her hand waving at the two girls who just entered the diner. Cheryl, standing right behind Veronica, pushes past her to make her way over to the group. Veronica grabs Cheryl's arm, stopping her forward motion, "we don't, it's-" Cheryl shakes Veronica's grip and continues her way to the others. Veronica followed in silence.

There's a palpable tension in the air that hadn't been applicable since that morning in Veronica's bed. Betty softly greets Cheryl with a "Hey Cher" a nickname the blonde hadn't used in years (back when they used to be friends.) Jughead and Archie both nodded their hellos, Archie cleared his throat, it was obvious that he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. A blank stare covers Cheryl's face, her eyes directed toward the cast on Archie's hand. She gently places her hand atop the cast, muttering barely audible, "Archie—" Archie turns just enough to place his good hand on Cheryl's. Before he can even set his full weight on her hand, Cheryl begins to break out in tears. She quickly retracts her hand and pushes past Veronica and out the door.

Veronica takes off behind her, not even pausing a moment to address her friends. She finds Cheryl desperately trying to open the locked door of her car, the redhead's body racking with sobs. Veronica pulls the keys from her pocket, clicking the unlock button on the fob. Cheryl practically falls due to the amount of force she was exuding on the now unrestrained door, swinging back wildly. Veronica quickly moves to catch her off-balance. She turns Cheryl around so she can face her. Cheryl has both of her arms bracing herself on either side of the open doorframe, while Veronica has both her arms on Cheryl's shoulders. Veronica reaches to push back Cheryl's hair with one hand while wiping her tears with the other. All the while whispering, "Hey hey, I'm right here. Cheryl breathe. In, out."

It takes a few minutes of Veronica coaxing Cheryl to inhale, exhale before Cheryl begins to relax, her body no longer shaking, and the tears slowing. When she is calm enough to move, Veronica helps Cheryl into the car. She squats down to be at eye level with Cheryl, "I'm gonna go get us some food to go, because sweetie you _need_ to eat. I'll be right back I promise. You'll be ok right here?" She means for the later words be an affirming statement for Cheryl, but she can't help but make it sound more like a question to make her feel better. Cheryl must notice this tone in her voice case she nods curtly. Veronica places a quick kiss to Cheryl's cheek before carefully closing the car door.

Veronica made her way back into the diner, making a beeline for the counter. She put in her to-go order and stepped to the side to wait. That's when Archie made his way over asking where Cheryl was. "In the car. I had to get us some food, we haven't eaten since—" She trails off not wanting to say the words. Archie bows his head in understanding. "How's your hand?" Veronica asks, suddenly remembering she hadn't checked in with him after the river. She hadn't checked in with anyone actually, she was too involved with Cheryl to even think about the others. She made a mental note to be more present, she can't let her and Cheryl isolate themselves, especially Cheryl.

"Oh this," Archie raised his hand showing off his cast, "it's not too bad. Six weeks recovery, then a few weeks of PT. It's not the first time, I broke my left hand on one of my Dad's construction sites when I was little. That one was worse." His tone is light, which is much appreciated by Veronica. Despite his simple nature, Archie always did have a way to lighten the mood.

"Lodge to-go!" Veronica's order gets called out, breaking Veronica away from her thoughts. She grabs the bag, turns her attention back to Archie, "Well I should go, Cheryl's waiting."

"Right." He leans in for a kiss, but Veronica moves and turns it into a hug. "Goodnight Ronnie." Archie softly says, after pulling away from the embrace. She places a comforting hand on his arm, looks over his shoulder and waves at Betty and Jughead who were watching the whole exchange. They wave back and she leaves the diner, to return to the damaged redhead sitting in her passenger seat. This is gonna be a long night Veronica thinks.


	4. Together

**A/N: Hey all! Hope you enjoy this little update, I had a couple days off so I was able to post pretty quickly this time. Not sure when I'll be able to get to chapter 5. There is a line in this chapter that is in parenthesis and italicized, you'll know it when you read it, it is a flashback line to a conversation that happened 'off camera' so to speak. Other than that, pretty straight forward stuff. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

After another silent car ride, and an equally as quiet dinner. Cheryl excuses herself to shower. She hasn't taken one before they went out, opting for an up-do to make her hair at least somewhat presentable. However, after taking her bun out, her hair was in desperate need of attention.

They say home is where you fully know how to work the showerhead, and in that moment Cheryl couldn't feel more like a stranger. After a few moments of fiddling with the numerous knobs and faucets, a large steady stream of water finally stares to pour from the shower head. She waits for the water to warm before stepping into the stream.

She finds herself just standing under the shower head, not moving. Cheryl relishes in the pulsating sting of the water hitting her cold skin. The temperature would've been too hot on any normal day, but after having her body submerged in the freezing cold water of Sweetwater River, Cheryl couldn't handle anything cooler. This was her first immersive experience with water since falling through the ice a mere 24 hours ago…

Meanwhile, Veronica took the opportunity to call Betty who had been texting her all night. Not wanting to be rude, Veronica had ignored the messages in order to focus on Cheryl. The phone rings only twice before Betty answers with an excited "Ronnie!"

Veronica smiles at hearing her best friends voice. She hasn't spoken to her since back at the river, they were in desperate need to catch up. "Hey B, sorry I didn't message you sooner. Things have just been really hectic here."

"No, I get it. I just wanted to see how you were doing, and Cheryl." She adds almost as an after thought.

Veronica releases a deep sigh, not really sure where to begin. "I don't know B, I feel like I'm in over my head." She goes to sit down at her desk, burrying her head in her free hand. "I really want to help Cheryl, but I feel like I'm just babying her."

"I don't know either, have you tried talking to her?" Betty's voice is dripping with concern.

"She's been pretty silent today. Especially after the diner."

"Where is she now?" The thought hadn't even occurred to the blonde that Cheryl must be out of earshot for Veronica to even call her.

"She's in the shower. I told her I'd give her an hour before I check in. God I sound like her keeper or something." Veronica groans. _("So unless you want me to see you naked, please don't give me any reason to worry.")_

"V, I'm sure Cheryl understands your concern. Just trying talking to her, let her know how you feel, that you want to help but don't know how."

"Yea you're right. Oh," Veronica notices Cheryl has rendered her bedroom. She turns her attention back to her phone, "I've gotta go. Tall to you later."

After Betty returns her sentiment, Veronica hangs up the phone, swiveling her desk chair around so she's facing the redhead who's sitting on her bed.

"Was that Betty?" Cheryl asks, much to Veronica's surprise.

"Yea she was just wondering how you're doing." Veronica lies, well sorta, while Cheryl wasn't her main concern she did ask about her.

"Oh, and how's that?" Cheryl asks.

Veronica is confused, "What?"

"How am I doing?" Cheryl clarifies.

The question catches Veronica off guard. For a second there Cheryl sounded like herself, well her typical snarky self. "I um, I guess I don't really know. You've been pretty quiet today."

Cheryl bows her head, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. After a moment Veronica chimes in again, "you know you can talk to me right?"

Cheryl looks up nodding, "I know. I just, I don't know, I guess I've been trying to forget about everything. Ignoring reality." She returns to fidgeting with her hands. "It's easier to pretend."

This prompts Veronica to get up and join Cheryl on the bed. She sits next to her, leaning against the headboard. "So tonight at the diner…" She trails off hoping Cheryl will continue to open up.

"Seeing Archie, his cast, it was proof. Proof that it was real, that it actually happened. I couldn't pretend anymore."

Veronica takes Cheryl's hand in hers, "Look I'm not going to pretend like I know what I'm doing here. All I know is that I want to help you in any way I can." She squeezes Cheryl's hand. "But, I need you to let me know if I'm suffocating you. I don't want to treat you like some fragile baby."

Cheryl looks Veronica square in the eye, whispering on the verge of tears, "And I appreciate that."

"Let me know what I can do." Veronica practically begs.

"Honestly, I don't really know either." Cheryl lowers her head, unable to say the next part while maintaining eye contact. She plays with Veronica's hand, "But I do know that your presence, your touch, is comforting. It reminds that I'm not alone."

It's silent for a short moment, and a soft blush graces Veronica's face. It goes unnoticed by Cheryl who is still refusing to look at Veronica in the eye. Veronica uses her free hand to lift Cheryl's chin, as she rests her forehead against the other girls. "You really are a secret cuddler aren't you?"

"Shut uuup!" Cheryl laughs as she pushes Veronica away, however not releasing her hand in the process.

"Come on, don't fight it." Veronica teases as she wraps Cheryl up in the tightest hug possible. She strokes Cheryl's hair with one hand, the other help tightly around her waist, "Shhh. I'll keep your secret."

Cheryl gives into the embrace, and returns it herself. Giggling for the first time in what felt like ages, "You're so weird."

A large smile overcame Veronica's face after hearing Cheryl laugh. She continues to tease, loving the light and playful atmosphere, "But you love it."

Cheryl just hums in affirmation, snuggling in closer to Veronica as they shift in to a more comfortable laying position. It's quiet for a moment, both girls feeling relieved to be laughing and goofing off rather than crying like usual.

Veronica makes one more serious point to end their discussion, "You're gonna get through this, _we're_ gonna get through this _, together_."

"Together." Cheryl agrees. She couldn't have been more grateful to have Veronica by her side.


	5. Sunday Morning

**A/N: Hey yall! So this is a short little update that sets up the next chapter(s) so there's not a whole lot to it plot wise, but I wanted to get this up today cause IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! and I would just love it if you could leave a review for me :) as a nice present. I hope yall are enjoying this story so far, stay tuned for more! As always I'm on tumblr at "iwouldneverleaveher" if you ever want to chat! Thank you all for reading!**

It was Veronica who awoke first the next morning. Last night was cathartic for the both of them. They reached an understanding. This relationship, they weren't sure if they were really "friends", they were thrust into was complicated. They went from enemies to roommates? in a matter of hours. Veronica had always secretly wanted to be friends with the redhead, but their early days of interaction showed that Cheryl wanted nothing to do with that.

She thought things had changed after Jason's funeral. And she supposes it did, although unnoticed until veronica received that text message. If she had tried harder to gain the girl's friendship, would the need for that message even exist? It's something Veronica guilts herself about constantly. She knew Cheryl was struggling, she saw first hand just a fraction of how bad Cheryl's home life was. Why didn't she try harder to get close to the secretly broken queen bee?

Veronica knows playing the "what if" game only causes more guilt and dread, but she felt the pain was her punishment for not trying harder, for not being the better person she wanted to be per her move to Riverdale. Instead she let the old Veronica take over, the power struggle between them fueling her actions.

She takes a moment to examine the sleeping figure that's curled up in her side. Cheryl still sleeping, rather peacefully this time around. Her breathing was even, there were no tear stains on her cheek, her brow wasn't tightly furrowed. Cheryl's face was blank, but in a good way. After everything that's happened, Veronica was happy to see Cheryl devoid of any serious emotion. Maybe that was a step forward.

"Look who's staring now." Cheryl's voice is faint, still heavy with sleep. It breaks Veronica away from her thoughts, she looks at the redhead trying to suppress the goofy grin on her face. Cheryl's smile matches hers as she lets out a soft laugh. She closes her eyes and pushes her face back into the crook of Veronica's neck. Her breath tickles the raven haired girl, and she begins to laugh herself.

"You looked so peaceful, did you sleep well?" She curious, she doesn't remember the girl tossing and turning near as much during their first night together, or even during the nap they took later that morning.

Cheryl moves slightly to look up at Veronica, "For the most part," she lets the sentence dangle between them. She had another nightmare, but it paled in comparison to the ones she's had before. Plus this time, when she woke up there was somebody there, wrapped up against her. She felt safe in Veronica's arms, comfortable. She slept better knowing Veronica was there, feeling her arms wrapped tightly around her. She was able to calm down quicker by burying her face in the other girl's neck, using Veronica's body almost like a forcefield from the demons that haunt her. Cheryl felt weird voicing it, so she left it unsaid, hoping Veronica could read between the lines.

"Good." Veronica whispers, pulling the redhead in closer to her with a light squeeze. She hated seeing Cheryl in such a state of distress, especially during a time that's supposed to be about rest. She was happy to hear she was able to somewhat comfortably relax.

They stay like that for a few minutes, just relishing in each other's comfort, waiting for their bodies to fully adjust to being awake before thinking about leaving the bed. It's silent aside from the soft hum of the ceiling fan. Cheryl felt she could fall back asleep. Her body was still incredibly sore from falling through the ice, she felt she might never be fully rid of the pain, it slowly just becoming a dull ache that she'd have to learn to ignore. Neither girl wants to disturb the peace, but as time drags on they realize they probably shouldn't spend all day in bed, again, even though it was Sunday.

Cheryl was the first to move, she pulls away from Veronica, almost completely, a hand still lingering on her arm. They lay on their sides facing each other. "What should we do today?" Her voice is almost chipper. It takes Veronica by surprise. For the first time since she's known the girl, she sounds friendly, in a genuine way, not in a faux 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' kind of way.

"I was thinking, if you're gonna keep staying here," She says it like Cheryl has a choice, even though she doesn't want Cheryl to leave, and would fight her to stay. Veronica brushes a strand of hair out of Cheryl's face. "we should probably go to your house to pick up clothes and stuff." She finally retracts her hand, "I mean you're welcome to keep borrowing my stuff. But I figure you might feel more comfortable here if you had your things."

The red head looks conflicted. She smiles at Veronica's words, happy to know she's home here at the Lodges, but the thought of going back to Thronhill sends a shiver down her spine. That place hadn't felt like home since Jason. Not that it was ever a particularly warm place before that. Her parents were dreadful, especially now that Jason's not around to protect her. Even though her father is gone, she's sure it won't be much better. Her mother was always worse. Clifford was cold and demeaning, but he would never lay a hand on her. The same can't be said for Penelope. She could only imagine how much worse she would be without anyone there who could stop her, Nana Rose sure can't.

In and out, Cheryl figured. Go in, grab clothes and other personal effects, and out. Simple enough. As long as she didn't encounter her mother that is.


	6. Thornhill

**A/N: Hey yall! I've got another short update for you, I had planned for these past two chapters and the next one to be all one long update, but it felt more natural to break it up a bit. Thanks so much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! (fun fact: Madelaine Petsch and I have the same birthday, year and everything) It was a wonderful day, and I'm excited to see how 23 will treat me. Hope you enjoy this little scene. Let me know what you're thinking about this story, I want to hear here you guys think I'm headed. As always come talk to me on tumblr iwouldneverleaveher Thanks for reading!**

The drive to Thornhill is approximately 10 minutes across town from Veronica's apartment. The Blossoms live on the edge of town in the rural area, their mansion flanked by fields of maple trees. Their estate alone easily takes up a quarter of the town. Veronica will admit, she was very impressed the first time she saw Thornhill Mannor. It was then, when Veronica really started to understand the amount of clout the redhead held in their town. She knew Cheryl was the queen bee of their school, she didn't realize she was also Riverdale royalty.

There's a tense silence that clouds around them. Veronica turns the radio on, however, keeping the volume down to a light hum. Cheryl only spoke to give Veronica directions to her house, "left turn here, straight through the light, we have to be buzzed in at that gate…" Her demeanor was somber. Veronica noticed this right away. She had been silent during breakfast, mostly just picking at her food. She heard the sharp inhale Cheryl took when she got in the car, a way to brace herself for they journey they were about to depart on. Veronica studies the girl who sits in the passenger seat, quietly looking out the window. She wonders what's going on in her head. How could she help her?

"Shit!" Cheryl sharply let slip as they slowly pulled into the drive. "Mother is home." She said this as if she wasn't expecting her, Veronica notes. Her tone is cold, and quiet. Veronica can tell she's scared. How terrible it must be to be afraid of your own mother, Veronica thinks. Veronica's mother is no saint, but she couldn't imagine a time where she was genuinely scared of her.

Veronica saw firsthand a glimpse of how cruel Penelope Blossom could be, at Jason's funeral. She never told the red head she saw her mom chastise her for the dress incident. Veronica merely waited a few minutes before casually entering Cheryl's room, pretending she was looking for her, and _just now_ found her.

Cheryl tried to hide her tears, it was the first time she had done so around the big city girl. It didn't seem to bother her when she had her panic attack after the pep rally, or when she cried in Veronica's arms the night before the funeral, or when she cried in her arms yet again the next day at the service. This time was different, it was as if Cheryl was ashamed to be so emotional. She kept furiously wiping away at her face, willing the tears to stop. Her sobs sounded more strained, her breathing erratic. It was a different type of cry, and it broke Veronica's heart even more.

Veronica didn't ask what happened, she had a feeling Cheryl wouldn't want to delve into that situation, but based on Cheryl's reaction, she had a feeling this was a regular occurrence. Instead she just held her close once again, and waited for Cheryl to cry herself out. She'll never forget the way Cheryl clung to her. Her arms and hands grasping desperately at Veronica's back, searching for some kind of stability.

Looking back, Veronica can't believe she didn't see the signs sooner. That day alone should have convinced her to pay more attention the broken girl, to try harder to be there for her, a huge red flag. The day at the river, Veronica silently promised herself that she'd do everything she could from here on out.

"We'll be in and out." Veronica reached over the console to place a reassuring hand on Cheryl's arm.

Cheryl breaks her gaze from the window to turn toward Veronica, "No, you shouldn't." She places her hand atop Veronica's which was still resting on her own arm. "Mother can't see you." The way she referred to her mother made Veronica wince, Cheryl's tone was so cold and small.

"I'm not letting you go in there alone." Veronica almost laughs, she understands the risk, but she's not scared of Mrs. Blossom, she is a Lodge after all. Ok so maybe she's a little scared, but she had to be strong for Cheryl.

Cheryl stirs for a moment, visibly uncomfortable. She knew Veronica would be stubborn, but she doesn't want to risk her getting hurt. She knows how much her mother hates Veronica's parents, she made that abundantly clear after their sleepover months ago.

A compromise comes to mind, "Give me 20 minutes. If I'm not out by then, then you can come get me." Her eyes are pleading Veronica to agree.

The raven-haired driver nods, "20 minutes and not a second more, so don't give new a reason to worry." (Any more than I already am…)

Cheryl gives her a small smile, and squeezes Veronica's hand, trying to silently reassure her that she'll be fine. She doesn't know who she's trying harder to convince. She takes a deep breath as she climbs out of the car, turning to give Veronica one more smile.

Veronica sets her timer…


	7. Thornhill Pt 2

**A/N: Hey yall! So it's been a bit since I last updated, but I just haven't really been in the right headspace for writing lately. I mentioned in one of my previous author notes that I had intended these chapters to all be one, but decided to break them up for clarity, well it turns out I am breaking it up even more. So I have notes for about 3 or 4 more chapters of this event. This story is following a pretty tight timeline so it just makes sense to do it this way. For those of you who are reading for romantic Cheronica, I promise it will get there eventually, it's just a super super slow burn because of the tight timeline. Right now I'm more concerned with their emotions following Cheryl's attempt and how they grow closer in the aftermath. Hope you enjoy this little update, and I hope to have more for you soon! Thanks for reading, and please leave me a review, those really make me excited to write, so more reviews=faster updates.**

It felt strange being in her house again, Cheryl thought. She didn't know if that had more to do with the fact that she's spent the past two nights at Veronica's apartment, or that she thought she'd never see this place again after the last time she left it.

Sure it had only been around 36 hours since she was last here, but the finality to those last few moments she spent in this house made it feel like a lifetime ago. Perhaps in a metaphorical sense it was. She emerged from the cold water of the river, reborn, baptized to a new life.

A new life. A new Cheryl, she thought. She was given the opportunity to become someone else, something else. She had certainly been a kinder being, if only to Veronica. Maybe this was her chance to start fresh, the way Veronica did when she moved to Riverdale. Veronica wanted to be better than the New York socialite shed been her whole life, and perhaps she could help the redhead become better than the Blossom name.

Strange didn't even begin to cover how weird it felt for Cheryl to be back in the halls of Thornhill. For a building that never truly felt like home, it felt even colder now. Any semblance of normalcy disappeared went Jason left. In the months following, Cheryl could only pretend these walls weren't slowly closing in on her. How she lasted as long as she did, almost impressed her.

Cheryl felt like an inmate walking down death row as she made her way across the long hallway to her bedroom. How ironic, she thought. She ran her fingers over the dark wood paneled walls. Cold. Nothing in this place could hold any warmth, including the people in it.

When she finally reaches her room, she paues in the doorway, eyes roaming about. It was immaculately clean, as always, but the last time she was here, she took the extra care to properly make her bed, organize her clothes, she even cleaned her vanity mirror. Cheryl remembered the way her reflection looked that day, small and soft. She stared at the mirror for hours.

The Cheryl she saw that day paled in comparison to the one she saw just yesterday in Veronica's bathroom. Cold and broken. All the color, drained from her skin. She glances at her current reflection, the color now back to normal, a fresh cut on her temple, and the faintest of freckles just barely visible across her cheeks. She didn't look as broken as before, more like she was being put back together, slowly, piece by piece. It's how she felt at least. With Veronica's help, Cheryl was starting to feel like she didn't have to be so sad, she finally had someone who seemed to care about how she was doing. She hadn't had that kind of support since Jason, and for the first time since his death she didn't feel alone in this world. Veronica was there for her, and that was something she wasn't expecting, especially after the terrible way she treated her in the few months they'd known each other. Veronica had always seen the broken soul in her, they were connected on another level that the "peasants" for lack of better word, of Riverdale would never understand. Maybe that's why Veronica cared so much, because deep down she was that same broken soul in another body, one that was trying to be different, to be better.

Cheryl moves about the room as if she's never been in here before, the landscape foreign. Her fingers gently glide across every surface. She used to brag about how big her room was, but now it feels much too large, the vast space gives her a feeling on anxiety. The air is cold, not unusual for this time of year, but the lack of heat felt particularly draining. The darkness only added to the unwelcoming atmosphere, but she didn't dare turn on a light.

Cheryl can't help but compare her room to Veronica's. Veronica's room is much smaller, lighter due to the color of the walls, and the strands of hanging lights she has strewn around the room, so basic, but cute, Cheryl thinks. The bed is also smaller and yet Cheryl feels safer and more comfortable there, than in her own, however that might have more to do with the raven-haired girls presence than anything else. She finds it funny that she feels more at home within the walls of the Pembroke than she ever did here in her own home. Again, she knows that it has more to do with the people in it than the place itself. Her parents were never the warm, loving type, even with each other. Veronica on the other hand, had more warmth in her than the fire that she sat in front of for hours the other day. And that made all the difference.

She walks over to the large window in the corner and pulls back the curtains, just enough so she can get a glimpse of the garden below. Jason's grave rested just a few feet away from the garden gates. She noticed the new grave just to the left of Jason's. Cheryl instantly felt sick to her stomach. How could her father, Jason's murderer, still get to rest in the Blossom cemetery? After everything he did to destroy this family. Cheryl pushed the curtains back together in a fit of fury. She could feel the tears stinging her cheeks, but she refused to let them continue any longer. She was sick of crying, and she certainly didn't want to cry any tears over then monster who killed his own son. That was a whole other can of worms she hadn't even begun to examine, and she didn't plan on it anytime soon.

In a huff, Cheryl strides to her closet to grab one of her suitcases. She takes a moment to decide which size to take. She doesn't know how long Veronica wants her to stay for, and she doesn't want to be presumptuous so she casts aside the large rolling suitcase for a more manageable carry-on size. She figures she will just pick more neutral clothing that she can layer and recycle outfits with. She begins to pack.


	8. Waiting

**A/N:** **Hello! First, thanks so much for the lovely reviews! It's so good to hear from people who are reading this story, rather than me feeling like I'm thrusting it into the void where no one will find it. Second, as promised, more reviews=faster updates so here's the next little tidbit. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! :)**

Ten.

It had been ten minutes since Cheryl left Veronica's car and entered the large wooden doors of the Thornhill mansion. Veronica was on edge the entire time. She turned the radio up a bit, hoping the music would keep her distracted. Nevertheless, time dragged on like it couldn't move any slower.

Veronica hated the idea of Cheryl belong alone in that house, or worse being alone with her mother. She could only hope that the redhead had managed to slip past the older woman and could get out without her noticing. It's not impossible, Veronica thinks.

Ten minutes. Halfway there.

Veronica stares at the doorway, anxiously waiting for Cheryl to pop out, suitcase in hand. That is when she isn't busy watch the timer she set, watching the milliseconds roll by changing the second digit at the slowest rate. She hoped she wouldn't have to go into the house to retrieve Cheryl. She's not sure if she could contain her anger if she ran into Mrs. Blossom.

Veronica only knew what she had briefly seen of Cheryl's relationship with her mother, at dinner the night before and at the reception following Jason's funeral, but that was enough for her to assume they were distantly strained at best. She saw the way Penelope grabbed Cheryl when reprimanding her about the dress she wore to the vigil. She saw the look of pain and sorrow on Cheryl's face. She also noted the slightest twinge before Penelope even grabbed her, Cheryl bracing herself, a clear indicator that she knew what was going to happen, that it's most likely happened before. Veronica would NEVER forget how Cheryl even recoiled from HER embrace for the slightest second after her mother left the room. The reaction an instinct.

10 minutes.

Veronica hesitates a moment, her hand on the door handle. It takes all her restraint from saying the heck with it and forgoing the 20-minute window she promised Cheryl and barging in Thornhill. Just 10 more minutes, that's not THAT long. Except it totally is, Veronica huffs, falling back into her seat. She turns the radio up a few more notches. The harmonies of the Haim sisters flow through the speakers as Veronica closes her eyes in an effort to loose herself in the music.

She thinks back on the conversation she had with her own mother this morning…. _"Why is she still here?" Hermione asked, her voice full of malice._ __

 _"I'm not just gonna send her back to that house, she obviously doesn't feel safe there." Veronica rebutted, her defense game strong._ __

 _"That's not our problem Veronica. Get the police involved if you must-"_ __

 _"Are you kidding me?" Veronica cut off her mother incredulously, "The Blossoms own this town, including the police, you think Penelope is gonna let them do anything to damn their name, any more than what Clifford has already done." She crossed her arms in front of her._ __

 _"Why can't she stay with the Cooper's? Afterall they are family aren't they." Veronica instantly regretted ever mentioning that information._ __

 _"They are too preoccupied with their own shit. Cheryl needs someone who will be there for her."_ __

 _"And that person has to be you?" Her mother's tone is questioning, full of disbelief. Hermione almost laughed._ __

 _"Yes Mother, it absolutely HAS to be me." She stood up forcefully, arms still crossed. Her fists ball in anger, hidden behind her upper arms._ __

 _"She can't be here when your father gets home, I want her out." Hermione demanded, leaving with the final word._ __

 _"She's not leaving!" Veronica called out after her fleeing mother. She even followed her down the hallway, giving up when she sees the bathroom door. She decided to turn her attention to Cheryl instead._ _  
_  
He doesn't even get out for another 2 months! Veronica thought. What does that have to do with it?  
There couldn't possibly be a problem with Cheryl staying at the Pembroke until Hiram gets back, other than the annoyance it'll cause her mother. It's not like she's ever home these days anyway, too busy with whatever shady business dealings she's gotten in to. Cheryl could stay with her until her father comes home, and they can figure things out then.

Oh, who was she kidding, Veronica knew Cheryl couldn't live with her forever, but the thought of her leaving never really occurred to her before. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she sent Cheryl away. She shook the thought away, not allowing her mind to go there.

She has to focus on moving forward, for Cheryl and for herself. Veronica was determined for the both of them to come out of this better people, better friends. Friends, is that what they are? Veronica could only hope. She hated fighting with the redheaded socialite. It's not worth the energy. She wanted to use this move to Riverdale as an opportunity to start anew, to become a better Veronica, and fighting with Cheryl only brought her old self back. It was easy to be the New York queen bee with Cheryl, because she pushed her buttons in all the ways she was known to do to others. Cheryl knew the game, and she played it well.

Veronica had to admit, it was really nice seeing this softer side to Cheryl, she absolutely hated the conditions that led to it, but it was nice nonetheless. She felt lucky. Special. Cheryl had for some reason chosen her to let down her guard down with. She only knew the girl for a few short months, and they were at odds the majority of the time. Regardless, Veronica was happy Cheryl has somebody she can trust, and she may or may not be very happy that person is her.

The sound of a loud drum solo breaks Veronica's concentration. She turns the radio volume down to a dull hum. She looks down at her phone, the countdown still ticking on her screen…

Five more minutes.


	9. Thornhill Pt 3

Cheryl stands in her closet staring at her clothes. She had pretty much finished packing, but had room for a couple last items. She sighs softly. Her wardrobe is larger than most families combined, and narrowing it down to just a suitcase pained her. She also couldn't help but feel so entitled, it made her sick. She used to think her wealth and abundance of material things made her better than everyone else. Now she sees them for what they are, just things.

In her lowest moments, these things weren't enough to comfort her. Cheryl may have had the stuff, but not the people, the love and support from others. Sure, people would fawn over her stuff, fancy car, nice clothes, all in hopes that by associating themselves with prosperous people, some of that wealth might rub off on them. However, when the going gets tough, those people aren't there for YOU. Material things didn't mean a damn thing when it came down to the bottom line. It's crazy how sobering a brush with death can be, Cheryl thinks.

A black leather jacket, and a large soft sweater are the final items she chooses. Cheryl pulls the string attached to the overhead light, and closes the door upon exiting the walk in. As she makes her way to the open suitcase on her bed, a noise from the doorway grabs her attention. Her mother, Penelope Blossom, stands in the doorway.

"Cheryl. I thought I heard rustling." Penelope tales a small step forward, entering Cheryl's room.

"Mother." Cheryl only looks up briefly to 'greet' her mother, before turning her attention back to the suitcase in front of her. She begins to fold her jacket.

"Going somewhere?" Mrs. Blossom motioned to the bag before tightly crossing her arms.

"It's just-" Cheryl hesitates, she doesn't know how much to say. She certainly didn't want to explain what's been going on. "I'm going to stay at a friend's place." She tries to come off as nonchalant as possible.

Penelope takes another small step forward, "And why are you packing for-?" She lets the sentence dangle as she peers over Cheryl's shoulder at the suitcase she's still packing.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be away." Cheryl's back is to her mother, she leans forward to zip up the bag. "Need to make sure I'm covered, is all." She adds, hoping her mother will lose interest in their conversation, like usual, and leave it at that.

Alas, she doesn't, "What do you mean you don't know how long you'll be gone?" Mrs. Blossom's tone is mildly curious at best.

"Because Mother, I-" Cheryl turns around and mimics her mother's crossed arm gesture. "I just don't ok." She knows she should have a better answer. She was raised to have impeccable manners, and beating around the bush was highly frowned upon in this house. She recalls all the times Jason and she would get yelled at for not properly answering questions. _("You are a Blossom. You speak with clarity, and in complete sentences! I won't have my children sounding like uncultured Neanderthals.")_

"No Cheryl, you can't just up a leave for an extended amount of time and not let me know the details." She's growing impatient with her daughter, and Cheryl can tell.

"Oh really Mother, you didn't seem to care that I've been gone the past two days. Or did you even notice my absence?" Cheryl challenges. Two can play this game, and she's determined to win.

The tone of Cheryl's voice does take Mr. Blossom by surprise a bit, but she doesn't let that show, "That's beside the point. I will not have you acting like this." She threatens, but the impact is empty.

"Since when do you care how I act? You've hardly spoken to me since the funeral!" Cheryl responds, harshly. It's true, her parents have all but disowned her since the memorial service. They even went as far as cutting her off financially, something she hasn't told anyone about, not even Veronica.

" _I_ have been busy doing damage control, especially because of your action _AT_ the funeral. We hold a high political and social status in this town, everything we do is already under enough scrutiny without all this extra attention."

"Well you can thank Daddy for that, Oh wait-" She puts her hand on her chin in a mocking thinking gesture. Cheryl is downright catty in this exchange. Her HBIC nature pulling through.

"Don't you speak about your father that way!" Mrs. Blossom's face grows red with anger. Cheryl can see the veins in her neck popping out.

Cheryl fires back, "I can't believe you're defending him! He MURDERED Jay Jay! His own son, your son!" She points to her mother, "How can you be ok with that!?"

"Your father was many things, especially a coward." Penelope spits, "You think I'm happy he left me with this shit storm to clean up? I don't have time to be angry at him, I have to be diligent about making sure _WE_ don't get dragged down with him." Her attempt at making Cheryl feel glad that she's included in this is weak.

"You're delusional if you think the Blossom name carries any clout anymore." Cheryl waves her hands about, "In case you didn't notice the giant pile of drugs lying underneath Daddy's lifeless body, the whole town knows were nothing but a joke." She laughs dryly, "I'm surprised you haven't been arrested yet." The sneer of her words is abundantly clear, it's almost deafening.

Penelope is stunned, "You shut your mouth!" She's completely lost her cool, and any control she had on this stand-off.

Cheryl actually smiles at this response, she's well aware she trumped her. She adds for good measure, "I'm still leaving, I can't be in this house where everything reminds me of how fucked up this family is, not anymore. And you're not going to stop me!" She grabs the bag off the bed, ready to roll away.

"Cheryl?" A voice calls out from the hallway, a moment later Veronica appears in her doorway.

Mrs. Blossom turns her attention to the raven-haired girl, she attempts to steady her voice, "Mrs. Lodge." She fails.

"Penelope." It's a power move, and Mrs. Blossom knows it. Veronica is ready to go toe to toe. She directs her attention to Cheryl, her voice soft and loving, completely devoid of the malice she used to greet her mother, "You ready?"

Cheryl's mother looks between the two girls, connecting the dots. "No, no, you are not staying at the Pembroke, let alone with the likes of the Lodges." The name falling like a disapproving snarl off her lips.

Veronica turns to face the elder woman. She stared her down, much like the way she did her daughter at the River Vixen's tryouts. "Yes, she is, and if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with sheriff Keller." Little did she know she echoed Cheryl's previous sentiments.

Mrs. Blossom straightens her stance, and puffs out her chest in an act to regain dominance. "I believe you are dismissing the fact that I'M her MOTHER."

Veronica laughs, crossing her arms over her chest. She takes a step closer to Penelope. "Oh no, I'm very much aware, and that's exactly why I'm not letting her near YOU." Once again, she turns her attention back to the younger redhead, her whole demeanor softening, "Come on Cher, were leaving." She grabs Cheryl's suitcase in one hand and takes Cheryl's hand in the other.

They make their way across the room, but before they can make it to the door Penelope grabs Cheryl's free hand and pills her backward, "Cheryl!"

The motion stops both girls in their tracks. A short back and forth commences between Veronica and Penelope, Cheryl acting as the rope in a game of tug of war. It isn't until Penelope's grip slips, the force sending Cheryl to the floor, does it stop. Veronica is immediately at Cheryl's side, checking to see if she's ok.

She's not.

The cut of Cheryl's forehead hit the floor just right, reopening due to the impact. She's bleeding profusely. Veronica runs to Cheryl's on suite to grab a towel. She forgets Penelope is even on the room. She instructs Cheryl to hold the towel to her head, "apply pressure to stop the bleeding."

Veronica helps Cheryl to her feet by pulling her up by her free arm. Mrs. Blossom doesn't even bother to help. Instead she just pulls on the bottom of her blazer to dewrinkle it, and exits the room quietly.

Veronica is furious, but is more concerned with comforting Cheryl than pursuing her mother. They are able to leave the house without any further protest from the Blossom matriarch. She's nowhere to be found actually.

Veronica helps Cheryl into the car. Cheryl still holding the towel to her head. She was silent the entire walk to the car, as was Veronica. Neither girl knew what to say. Cheryl's lucky it wasn't worse. If she didn't already have the cut, she would be fine. Veronica is thankful she walked in when she did. She could feel the tension in the room from the hallway. Who knows what would have happened. Cheryl is glad for Veronica's interruption too. She knew she was winning the verbal stand-off with her mother, but that also meant she probably would have resorted to physical means to regain control. It's the same old song and dance with them, except this time Veronica was there to rescue her, much like the way Jason used to be. Jason was always her saving grace in times like this. After his death, Cheryl never thought she'd have that kind of protection again. Seeing the way Veronica stood up for her, made Cheryl want to cry tears of joy. Instead she focuses on keeping the pressure on her forehead, she doesn't want to bleed all over Veronica's front seat.

They drive back to Veronica's home in silence.

 **A/N: OMG! So ya'll I did not intend for this chapter to be like this lol meaning I hadn't planned on the confrontations to be as long or even as pointed. Penelope was going to be pretty blaze' about Cheryl leaving, but as I was writing this kind of just came out, and Veronica's appearance was going to be quick but I couldn't resist her going toe to toe with Mrs. Blossom. I'm so happy with how this chapter turned out though! PLEASE give me your feedback! Did you expect this to happen? Did I set it up well enough with the previous chapters? This was the event I was leading up to, that never changed, just the time it took to get there. I'm happy I didn't rush it, because I feel the payoff is so much better this way. Sorry I don't normally critique my own work like this, but I'm just very happy with this chapter (the longest to date) and I really hope you like it too! Thanks so much for all the kind words in your comments, hope to hear from more of you soon! Thanks so much for reading! :)**


	10. Bandaids and Bruising

Cheryl sits on the bathroom vanity in Veronica's apartment. Veronica mills about the room searching all the drawers and cabinets for the first aid supplies. After a moment of rummaging in the last cabinet she checks, Veronica finds what she's looking for. She stands up and gently instructs Cheryl to remove the towel she's been pushing against her head the whole way here.

Cheryl can feel the cotton fibers peeling away from her skin, the dried blood acting like a glue. She's careful to pull slowly, as to not reopen the wound. Veronica takes a warm, wet washcloth to the red head's temple. She uses one hand wrapped gingerly around Cheryl's chin to keep her head in place while she uses her other hand to clean up the dried blood.

Cheryl inadvertently holds her breath. Something about their close proximity made her afraid to breathe. She can't help but stare at Veronica, tracking her eye movement. All of Veronica's attention is focused on the task at hand, cleaning Cheryl's cut and patching her up. Cheryl can't help but notice how naturally beautiful Veronica is. Her features are knit together in concentration. Cheryl's eyes roam around Veronica's face, her hands, her body. She notices the way Veronica's throat twinges when she swallows. She notices the way Veronica is lightly brushing her thumb over her cheek with the steady hand as she brushes away at the blood with her other one. She notices the way Veronica ever so slightly bites her lip in concentration. Her skin was soft, her makeup subtle but perfectly highlighting her cheekbones, the scent of her shampoo filled the space between them. Every micro detail about Veronica is on full display for Cheryl to dissect, and she comes to the conclusion that Veronica is truly beautiful.

It's not just her outer appearance, Cheryl notes, but Veronica's actions, her words, make her all the more beautiful. The way she so quickly took Cheryl in despite their feuding past. How Veronica knew exactly when to talk and when to just let Cheryl process in silence. How every touch set Cheryl's skin ablaze, desperate for contact. The way Veronica so boldly stood up against her mother, and Cheryl's mother, just to ensure the redheads wellbeing. Cheryl was overwhelmed.

"This is gonna sting a bit." Veronica's voice breaks Cheryl from her thoughts. She notices the open bottle of hydrogen peroxide sitting on the counter next to her. The familiar sting thankfully doesn't last long. Veronica lightly blows over the wound to dry the skin.

It feels intimate, almost too much so. It makes Cheryl nervous, the butterflies in her stomach flying wildly about. She swallows in attempt to suppress the feeling.

Veronica secures a bandaid over the cut. Then, Veronica leans forward and presses a lingering kiss on the skin just below the bandaid. The contact is short, but it lasts longer than your typical 'kiss the boo boo better' type of kiss.

She pulls away abruptly, a blush adorning her face. Obviously embarrassed, Veronica busies herself with putting the first aid stuff away. Cheryl doesn't speak, her mind is too focused on the ghostly feeling of Veronica's lips on her skin, and her hands on her thighs. The atmosphere is tense, in the sense that it's charged with an unfamiliar feeling. One that neither girl was in any way ready to examine.

Veronica awkwardly clears her throat before walking out the door, down the hall to her room. Cheryl silently follows after her, and when she enters Veronica's room it's like someone had pressed the reset button. Veronica looked relaxed and happy, her shoulders no longer tensely hunched, or her face a rosy red. She spoke normally, "so what's tomorrow's gameplan?"

It takes a moment for Cheryl to shake away the tension, confused by Veronica's composure. Veronica once again breaks her from the thoughts, "school? What's your plan?" She waits a moment for Cheryl to respond, and when she doesn't, still paralyzed be confusion, she continues, "You should sit with us at lunch." Implying Archie and the others. "Or _WE_ could just sit together if you're not ready for that, But then again you're probably getting really sick of me," she trails off quietly, before taking a breath and continuing, "But you'd probably want to sit with Gia and Tina, you're friends. I mean it's not like anything's changed in the eyes of everyone else."

It's not like anything's changed. She's right, now that Cheryl thinks about it. No one knew of the events of this weekend besides them, Archie, Betty, and Jughead. She only sent that message to Veronica, didn't mention anything to anyone else in her life, there was no paper trail. Archie broken hand was the only real proof that anything happened she supposes.

What does she do when they arrive at school tomorrow? Does she pretend nothing happened and that everything is normal? Except nothing was even remotely close to normal anymore. In her lowest moment, Cheryl reached out to her supposed 'rival' of all people. The band of misfits she was constantly at odds with were her saviors. Everything about their dynamic changed that day. How do you ignore that?

On the other hand, how do you up and change your entire life, the social status you worked years to gain, without explaining WHY there's a shift in the first place? That was not a conversation she wanted to have with anyone. This was a predicament she never thought about until now. The thought of going back to school honestly didn't cross her mind until now. Veronica might have mentioned it in her argument to go back to Thornhill, but she glossed right over it.

After a minute of silence, Veronica looks worried. Cheryl realizes it's been too long of a silence since Veronica asked her a question. She makes her way over to the bed, taking a seat next to the girl before finally responding. "I'm not really sure, maybe we just play it by ear?" She doesn't want to think about it. She figures she'll cross that bridge when she gets there.

Veronica nods and hangs her head. She nervously plays with the sheets in front of her crossed legs. Cheryl notices the subtle change in Veronica's demeanor, she looks conflicted, almost sad. Cheryl reaches out and grabs Veronica's hands, steadying them. "I'm not sick of you by the way." She playfully bumps into Veronica's shoulder with her own. This grabs her attention, she looks up into Cheryl's eyes. "To be honest," Cheryl casts her eyes downward, "I don't think I could really be without you right now."

Veronica practically gives off a sigh of relief. A warm smile graces her face. She pulls Cheryl in for a hug. It's a short embrace. The tension from earlier slowly creeping back between them. Veronica pulls away first, "so what do you want do now?" It was only late afternoon. They had hours until 'bed time.'

"Movie marathon?" Cheryl suggests.

Veronica smiles wide, "sounds great. You set up the queue, and I'll get the popcorn!" She yells as she jumps off the bed, practically running out of the room. Cheryl laughs at her silliness and grabs the remote, turning her attention to the TV. She smiles to herself, she'd trade the popular status for a friend like this any day.

 **A/N: Yay! Now that Cheryl is free from her mother, and as we get further removed from the river scene, this story can begin to focus on how the girls grow together romantically. It will still be about Cheryl's recovery, but now there's a little more room for fluff. Hope ya'll enjoyed this update! Now let's fangirl over cute Cheronica! :D**


	11. Movie Marathon

A few minutes later Veronica emerges from the kitchen with a tray full of snacks, popcorn, chips, sweets, and some drinks. "How did you know this is my favorite movie?!" She shouts in excitement upon seeing the menu screen for Legally Blonde on the TV.

Cheryl laughs, "Duh, who doesn't love this movie? It's a classic." She pats the bed next to her, morning for Veronica to come join her.

Veronica makes her way across the room and clumsily sets the tray of snacks on the bed, almost spilling the drinks in the process. "Woah there, I don't want to sleep on a wet bed tonight." Cheryl plays as she grabs the drinks off the try and sets hers on the bedside table to her left.

As veronica settles in she jokes back, "You're lucky I don't make you sleep on the couch, you're such a bed hog."

"Am not!" Cheryl cries incredulously and laughing heartily.

"Yahuh, every time I wake up you're practically in top of me!" Veronica joins in the laughter.

"It's not like you're complaining." Cheryl adds matter of factly. This catches Veronica off guard, Cheryl had a fair point.

Cheryl hands Veronica her drink and the pair turn their attention to the tv screen. Cheryl hits play on the remote and the MGM logo appears on the screen. The pair go silent as the movie begins to play.

Cheryl takes a deep calming breath as she snuggles back into the pillow she propped up against the headboard. She couldn't remember the last time she watched this movie, or any movie for that matter. She tried to remember a time where she sat like this, watching movies with friends. Sadly she couldn't come up with a single memory. Growing up as a Riverdale socialite, most of Cheryl's childhood that normal kids would fill with bike rides, sleepovers, and just general goofing off, was replaced with public functions, private dinners, keeping up with the Jones's. It wasnt until rare occasions lime this, that she realized how deprived of fun her life was.

Her and Jason used to have movie nights, but their tastes in genre never really similar. They would take turns picking the movie and the other would begrugedly watch. She remembers the time she made Jason watch this movie. He didn't hate it, but he would also deny liking it. Cheryl would joke with him about how he secretly loved it, "come on just admit it, it won't kill you" he would always respond by playfully pushing her shoulder, neither confirming nor denying Cheryl's accusation.

She didn't know why she loved this movie so much, other than it must being a fun feel good story. Cheryl always figured it was cause she really liked Reese Witherspoon. She was one of her favorite actresses. It didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

Veronica broke Cheryl from her thoughts by offering her some popcorn. The redhead had been so lost in thought she forgot about the food. She happily accepted Veronica's offer and shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth. Veronica laughs at Cheryl's so not Cheryl like behavior. Cheryl realizes this and laughs along, throwing a piece of popcorn in Veronica's face. "Hey now-"

"Hey noow!" Cheryl quickly sings in response, mimicking the iconic song from The Lizzie McGuire movie.

"Oh my gosh! We should watch that one next!" Veronica excitedly suggests.

Cheryl nods in agreement before turning her attention back to the screen, her smile wide. It amazes her how comfortable she feels around the raven-haired girl. How she can let her guard down emotionally and mentally. She would NEVER dare to act this silly and care free around her 'friends' if you could even call them that. It felt so natural to just be around Veronica, without feeling like she had to put on some type of show. She wonders what was so special about Veronica that made her feel that way.

Veronica stirs next to her, and Veronica's head finds its way onto Cheryl's shoulder. "Is this ok?" Veronica asks tentatively.

"And you keep calling me the secret cuddler." Cheryl replies while moving to rest her head a top the other girl's. The gesture silently confirming that it was indeed ok.

"I never said that I wasn't, just that you were." She nestles closer to the redhead, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Once again, they turn their attention back to the movie that was about halfway through. The infamous costume party scene was on. The one where Elle shows up wearing a bunny costume to a party that Vivian told her was a costume party. Elle's come back is straight up gold. Not at all unlike something the old Cheryl would say. It was a funny realization when Cheryl began to project her and Veronica onto the on-screen frenemies.

There were many similarities between the pairs of girls. Much like Elle and Vivian, Veronica and Cheryl were at odds from the moment they met. Veronica, like Elle, was new to the area and was just looking to make friends. While Vivian, and Cheryl felt threatened by the newcomer, and did their best to keep the power. Both sets of girls were fighting each other for dumb reasons, and when they both had a moment of vulnerability, they realized they could be really great friends.

Comparing themselves to on screen rivals made Cheryl laugh out loud, earning a questioning look from the girl searched on her shoulder. "Have you ever noticed how were like Elle and Vivian?" Veronica just furrows her brow, silently asking for explanation. Cheryl begins to rattle off all the similarities she was just thinking of, adding "they became best friends in the end-"

"Are you telling me I'm your best friend?" Veronica playfully pokes, unknowingly hitting a nerve. Cheryl's light and happy attitude faded away almost instantly at the remark. Veronica grew worried at this reaction. She knew Cheryl had a rough life, and she could guess that her relationships with others were more for show than based off an actual loving bond. Why else would Cheryl turn to Veronica of all people in what she believed would be her final moments. She pauses the movie and turns to look Cheryl in the eye. "Hey, I'm sorry." When she doesn't get any reaction out of Cheryl, she changes approaches, "can you imagine how powerful we could be if we teamed up? Become the schools most popular duo. The best of best friends." Cheryl looks up at Veronica, oddly intrigued by her musings. "We could rule Riverdale High like no other before, and no one to come." Veronica takes one of Cheryl's hands in her own, her tone becoming soft, "plus it would be really nice to have a new bestie by my side." She smiles at the redhead who looks to be on the verge of tears, happy ones.

Cheryl bites back a grin. Her heart swells with happiness. "But don't forget Betty and the gang, you don't just get me, you get the whole deal." Veronica adds. This makes Cheryl roll her eyes with a laugh. Never would she imagine a day she'd be best friends with the sad breakfast club as she once dubbed them. Five new friends, five real friends. The thought makes her smile with affection. Veronica looks relieved, she knew Cheryl was on board with the two of them being friends, but there's a lot of bad blood between her and the others. If Cheryl was willing to make it work, than surely she could convince the others to give Cheryl a chance.

They settle back into movie mode, this time Cheryl being the cuddler and Veronica the cuddlie. They spent the rest of the night watching movie after movie, eating copious amounts of junk food, and getting quite the ab workout in the process. It was your typical girl's night, sleepover, movie marathon that practically every tv show and movie depicted. And for the first time in months, Cheryl felt whole.

 **A/N: Yo! So this movie was on the other day, and of course I had to watch it, and I couldn't help but notice the similarities between Elle/Vivian and our fave Riverdale girls so I had to incorporate it. Fun fact: I actually do the Hey Now thing when my friends and family say it. Hope you enjoyed the update. Up next the return to school! As always leave me a review, kudos, etc. I love hearing/talking to y'all!** **  
**


	12. Monday

They sat in Veronica's car, parked in the back of the lot to the side of Riverdale High. The nervous energy in the air was palpable. Monday morning. The beginning of the school week. The day every kid dreads, especially after a calm, relaxing weekend. These two however, their weekend was everything but...

Last night's blissful movie marathon was the closest they came to relaxing in the past 3 days. The evening was full of laughter and smiles, completely opposite of the tears and turmoil from the days prior. Cheryl fell asleep somewhere around movie number 5, and Veronica didn't last much longer. They made it through both Legally Blonde movies (obviously ignoring the existence of the third installment, Legally Blondes) as well as the Lizzie McGuire Movie. They started the Miss Congeniality movies, talking through the majority of the first one, and falling asleep during the second. It wasn't until Veronica woke up around 4 am, that they cleaned up the snacks and actually settled in for the night, or what was left of it anyway. They had to get up at 7 to get ready for school.

"You ready?" Veronica timidly asks, looking between the redhead in the passenger seat and the school's entryway.

Cheryl just stares forward, through the windshield, "As ready as I can be." She replies softly, the worry evident in her voice.

Veronica reaches over the center console and grabs Cheryl's hand. She gives it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll only be a few classrooms away." They didn't have class together until 3rd period, chemistry. Veronica told Cheryl earlier this morning to text her if she needed anything. She wouldn't hesitate to come running. Cheryl laughed at this, _"Relax Veronica it's just a couple of hours."_ Her calm and cool demeanor from earlier practically vanished. Veronica noticed this change, but didn't want to cause Cheryl anymore strife.

This would be the longest they'd be apart in approximately 3 days. It was a weird feeling for both of them. Just the thought of having to go through the motions as if nothing even happened, exhausts Cheryl. Thinking about it this morning didn't seem so bad. Now that they were actually at school, Cheryl was having second thoughts.

Veronica on the other hand, was unsure of how she'd be able to focus today, her mind instead being too focused on if Cheryl was ok. It seems silly to both of them at how attached they've become in the matter of one weekend. They went from 0 to 100, ride or die, in record time. Tragedy has a way of creating the strongest of bonds between people.

"Ok." Cheryl breathes in deeply, audibly exhaling before adjusting her outfit and grabbing her purse. Veronica gives her a curt nod, and they both emerge from the car ready to take on the day.

They walk into the building separately, each going to their respective lockers. They still haven't really established how they would handle the whole sudden best friends thing. They had appearances to keep, well mainly Cheryl did. Veronica figures she'll play it cool and let Cheryl come to her in her own time. Aside from Veronica and the gang, as far as Riverdale goes, no one knew Cheryl attempted suicide just days prior. It's like nothing happened to everyone but those involved in Friday's lake trauma. If it wasn't for the fact that Cheryl clung to Veronica's body these past two nights, she would've thought the whole thing was some crazy fever dream.

Cheryl's locker is down the hall from Veronica's, and for the first time in days she felt alone. She found herself gazing down the way, eyes desperately searching for her newfound friend. It was too early to already feel this overwhelmed, Cheryl thought. She had to suck it up and move on. Veronica couldn't be there to hold her hand 24/7, as appealing as that may be. She began to wonder if it was normal to be feeling this way, so detached from reality. This weekend was so much of a blur in her mind. If it wasn't for the, thankfully healing cut on her forehead, Cheryl would almost believe she dreamed this whole thing, and that the next time she saw Veronica it would be like they never became friends, still acting as mortal enemies vying for power in the social hierarchy that is high school. Eventually she turnes her attention back to her locker, rummaging through the books, breathing in deeply, bracing herself for the day, before heading to her first class. 

Meanwhile, Veronica stood at her locker assessing its contents like she'd never seen them before. Her mind was in a haze. She had no reason to be so scared of returning to school, but now that she's here, she misses the safety and comfort of her bedroom, and the company of a particular redhead.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Veronica was greeted by her oldest Riverdale friend, Betty Cooper. "Hey V! We missed you at Pop's" the blonde says as she bounces her way to Veronica's locker. The gang meets every weekend at Pop's diner. After their attempt to join them Saturday night, Veronica didn't have the heart to ask Cheryl if she wanted to try again the following night. She didn't particularly feel like leaving the house either to be honest.

Veronica turns, closing her locker before chiming in, "I know I'm sorry, Cheryl's just-"

Betty cuts her off, knowing exactly where she was going, "Hey I get it." Betty places a soft hand on Veronica's arm. There was no need for Veronica to apologize for being a good person, and friend to someone who desperately needs it. Betty was in awe of Veronica's bravery, well maybe that's not the exact word she was looking for, but she couldn't help bit commend Veronica for all that she was doing for Cheryl. God knows she wouldn't be able to do it. "How's she doing?" Her voice is laced with genuine concern.

Veronica shrugs, "Today so far, not sure, but she's coming around." She has an internal flash back to last night and the image of Cheryl laughing and smiling like none of her pain ever existed. How she visibly looked much happier and healthier than the day before, and how content she seemed to be cuddled up in Veronica's arms. She understood Cheryl had lots of emotional baggage that wouldn't just disappear overnight, but seeing her genuinely smile filled her with so much hope for the future. Veronica was determined to be there with her, helping her along the way.

"That's good." Betty's voice brought Veronica back to the conversation, "Let me know if there's anything we can do. You don't have to do this all alone." She alludes to Archie and Jughead, as well as herself. She's not sure Cheryl would really want any of their help, but she wanted her to know that it was an option.

"Thanks B." She envelops her friend in a quick hug, "Shall we go, English awaits!" Veronica links arms with Betty as they stroll down the corridor on their way to class.

 **A/N: Hey ya'll! So this chapter is just a quick update, not a whole lot going on yet. I must admit writing them in a new environment is kinda hard lol I'm hoping to get the next chapter up by the weekend so hopefully this little bit can hold you over till then. Thanks so much for all the kind words! I'm so happy to have your support! It makes writing this story so much easier!**


	13. Hallway Interruptions

Veronica didn't see Cheryl again until change over, the few minutes the students had to get from 1st period to second, grab their books, use the restroom, etc. She was about to walk up to her to check in, that was until Gia and Tina got there first. She stops in her tracks, unsure of if she should interrupt. Instead, she settles for watching the situation from afar.

It appears that Gia is in the middle of telling some story, Cheryl hardly acknowledging her. Tina chimes in every few seconds or so, adding to the conversation. Cheryl however, doesn't speak. She eventually makes eye contact with the pair, but even from the distance Veronica can tell by her eyes that she's disinterested. Maybe interrupting would be a good thing, Veronica thinks, a way to save Cheryl from the obviously uncomfortable situation. She goes to continue her path toward the redhead, when Archie stops her in her tracks.

"Hey Ronnie." Archie's signature boyish grin graces his face as her turns to stand in front of Veronica, blocking her view of Cheryl in the process.

"Hey Arch," Veronica replies in a distracted tone, despite her efforts to make it sound happy.

Archie notices Veronica's attention is elsewhere and follows her line of sight, looking over his shoulder. He sees Cheryl leaving her locker with Gia and Tina in tow. "How are you?"

Now that Cheryl had taken off down the hallway, in pursuit of her next class, Veronica turned her full attention to the boy standing in front of her, "Good, Cheryl's-"

"No," Archie polietly cuts her off by placing a soft hand on Veronica's shoulder, "how are YOU doing?" His emphasis on you.

Veronica is a bit taken aback by Archie's insistence on her well being, she's so used to the others asking about Cheryl, it was a surprise that someone was asking about her, "Umm, I'm fine, good actually." She answers not thinking much of it.

There must have been something off about Veronica's facial features, or her body language because Archie didn't buy it, "I know taking care of Cheryl must be hard, you know it's ok for you to have feelings too. You don't have to hide them for the sake of Cheryl, I'm sure she'd understand." Sweet old Archie always did have an uncanny knack for knowing how to look out for people.

She silently thanks Archie for his concern before adding, "I promise I'm doing ok Archie." A soft smile accompanies her words, "I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes, but Cheryl gets that neither of us really know what we're doing, so we're just working through it together, figuring it out as we go." Her shoulders shrug.

It's a real team effort, both girls working together to navigate their way through the tough reality that is their lives. And Cheryl isn't the only one with issues. Lately Veronica's mother has been suspicious, and the two have been butting heads like crazy. Not to mention her father is due to come home soon. That's brought up a barrage of conflicting emotions, Veronica isn't sure she can handle alone.

Although she hadn't actually expressed any of these frustrations with Cheryl, Veronica could see herself being able to open up to her. Sure she had Betty, even Archie she supposes, but there's something about Cheryl that makes her feel like they could connect on a deeper level. They come from similar backgrounds, daughters of powerful, rich, socialites. Their fathers were both crooked businessmen. Not to mention the fact that they are both reformed mean girls, or she thinks so, she's not so sure about Cheryl. It's only their first day back at school since the incident. Cheryl could go back to her old ways in the blink of an eye. She felt confident that Cheryl could be HER shoulder to cry on, just as she is for her.

"Ah, well I'm glad you're looking out for her." Archie bows his head slightly as he rubs the back of his neck. His concern is genuine despite his languid tone. He's just more worried about his friend, girlfriend? he's not really sure where they stand anymore. Veronica did suggest they put a pause on things, which he's more than willing to do for her. But that doesn't mean he can't still be there for her. "Just don't forget to look out for yourself too."

Veronica knits her brow a bit, curious as to why Archie is repeating himself, especially after she already reassured him that she was good. "Of course."

Archie continues, "And I don't just mean that you need to express your emotions, but to also protect yourself from Cheryl's parents-er mother." He catches his error too late, his recovery awkward and tense. "From just the little amount of time I spent with them, I could tell they're bad news. Don't get wrapped up in the Blossom drama, wouldn't want you to get hurt in the crossfire." He places his hand on her arm again, this time with an accompanying reassuring squeeze.

Veronica just smiles thinking about how she went to to toe with Mrs. Blossom just yesterday morning. Of course the details of that experience were a secret between her and Cheryl. She mentioned to Betty that they went to Thornhill to grab some clothes, but when she asked about Penelope, Veronica lied ("She wasn't home, thank God.) She has to hold back a laugh, as to not raise any questions, "I don't think that will be a problem Archie, but I appreciate the advice."

The sound of the warning bell interrupts their conversation, signaling that they only had a minute left to get to class before being late. She had algebra next, her least favorite subject. Archie had gym, located on the other end of the school. "Shit, I gotta change yet. See you at lunch!" He says as he takes off running down the hall. Veronica laughs, bring a hand to her mouth to suppress the noise, and fails. Veronica makes a quick stop at her locker to grab her textbook before making her way down the hall to her second class. She just has to male it through one more hour, then she has class with Cheryl, and they just so happen to be lab partners as well. One hour. That's not too bad, she reassures herself as she takes her seat, and prepares to not fall asleep while staring at the numbers and letters on the chalkboard.

 **A/N: Yo! So I bet y'all weren't expecting an update so soon, I wasn't either tbh, but I had some extra free time and managed to get this done. Hoping to have another chapter up by the weekend! So this is another little set up chapter to kind of give you a clue as to where Veronica stands in all this. I know much of this story has been a Cheryl slanted POV, but we will be exploring more of Veronica's problems down the line. Hope you like this little update, as always reviews are greatly appreciated! I can't describe how happy I get to read what you think of this little thing I feel compelled to share, and it only compels me to share more!**


	14. Chemistry

Third period. Finally! The first two hours of school dragged on at a glacier pace. Veronica wastes no time getting to the classroom for her chemistry class, not even bothering to stop by her locker, having grabbed her book between the first two periods. She didn't want to miss Cheryl's arrival to class. She wanted her to see a friendly face when she first walks through the door.

Veronica sat at her lab station, an empty seat next to her. They switched lab partners last month, and at the time much to her chagrin, Veronica got partnered up with Cheryl. Now she was so happy to be working with her, this dynamic could help explain their sudden friendship to people. That they became friends because they have to work together in class, and on homework outside of class, studying for tests, it was a perfect excuse!

She anxiously awaited the arrival of the redhead. Her gaze glued to the doorway. Any minute now Cheryl would walk through the door, and they'd be reunited for the hour. She was dying to find out how Cheryl was adjusting to her first day back. Was she Ok? Does anyone know what happened? Did she miss Veronica as much as Veronica missed her?

She tries to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. The longer she waits the stronger the feeling grows. Her leg nervously bounces on the seat, she fidgets with her hands. Veronica couldn't help but roll her eyes at her nervous state. Since when did she get so attached to the redhead? She felt silly, sitting on the edge of her seat like a dog waiting by the door for their owner to get home.

The warning bell signals the final minute before class starts, and Cheryl has yet to walk through the door. Veronica was starting to worry, it wasn't like Cheryl to be late to class. Plus, she would have thought that she would be itching to get to third period so they could be together again. Maybe she was thinking too highly of her status in Cheryl's life. A sinking feeling overcomes Veronica, and she slumps in her seat. The bell rings and class begins, Cheryl nowhere in sight. So she's late, that's unusual but nothing to freak out about...yet.

Veronica turns her attention to the teacher as they drone on about today's lesson, but she can't keep her mind off the redhead. She finds herself glancing at the door every few seconds, hoping to see the girl walk through nonchalantly as if being fashionably late to class a was normal and acceptable standard. It would be a very Cheryl-esque thing to do.

She doesn't notice her classmates milling about the room, Veronica being so distracted. It was a lab day and her partner was still absent. The pairs of classmates don their PPE and gather supplies for today's assignment. Veronica uses this opportunity to slip out of the classroom unnoticed.

She begins her search for the redhead in the girl's restroom, coming up empty in all four of them. Next, she checks the student lounge, again to no avail. She gets an idea in her head, and takes off running down the hall to her destination. Veronica finds her on the third try, the locker room.

Cheryl is sitting silently on the bench between the stacks of lockers. She's not crying, so that's a good sign, but Veronica could tell by her posture that Cheryl wasn't feeling well. Veronica slowly makes her way over to her unmoving form. Cheryl looks up for a moment upon noticing the movement. She looks relieved to see it's only Veronica, but she still turns away from her, staring at her feet like before.

Veronica takes a seat on the bench next to Cheryl. "Hey you weren't in class." She feels stupid for stating the obvious, but wants to let Cheryl control the conversation. "We're doing a lab today, we're gonna get an incomplete."

"I think my GPA can handle the hit." Cheryl breaks her silence. There's a bitter tone to the joke, her voice devoid of all positivity. Cheryl's grades were stellar, one bad grade wouldn't do her any harm.

"How long have you been in here?" Veronica tries another tactic, hoping Cheryl will eventually open up. She doesn't want to outright ask Cheryl if she's ok, because how do you really answer a question like that? After everything she's been through, and is still going through. She's amazed Cheryl even got out of bed today, let alone go to school.

Cheryl sighs quietly, "about 40 minutes. I left in the middle of second period." She stands up and walks over to the sink along the wall. Veronica stays put, observing the girl from the bench. Cheryl looks at her reflection, "I couldn't handle the eyes of everyone staring at me. Except they weren't actually staring at me, in fact no one even looked in my direction, but internally I could _FEEL_ the attention." She cast her eyes downward as she begins to wash her hands. "I know people have no clue what transpired this weekend, but I can't help but feel like they do. Like I'm a constantly being watched, judged. I needed to get away."

Veronica wants to walk over to Cheryl, to envelop her in her arms, and hug away all her fears. Instead, she fights back the urge and stays sitting. She's not sure how to respond, and she's not going to pretend she understands how Cheryl is feeling either. She waits for Cheryl to walk back over to her. She doesn't sit down at first, just standing there staring into Veronica's eyes, studying her, searching for something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She lets out a huff as she takes a seat next to Veronica on the bench. They are as close as can be without Cheryl sitting directly in Veronica's lap. Their arms and thighs pressed against each other. "I missed you." Cheryl admits, her voice just above a whisper. It's a soft admission that warms Veronica's heart.

Veronica wraps her arm around Cheryl, pulling the redhead down onto her shoulder. They sit in silence for a few minutes, relishing in the comfort of each other's embrace. Veronica is the first to move, just so she can look at Cheryl's face as she speaks, "it'll get easier" referring to being back at school, acting normal, not feeling like she's alone in a sea of rubbernecks. "Don't forget I'm just a few classrooms away." She repeats her words from earlier this morning. Her hand rubbing soft circles on Cheryl's arm.

A sad smile graces Cheryl's face, "I don't want to seem so needy all the time."

Veronica laughs, "Trust me, I feel the same way. Plus, I don't want you to think I'm suffocating you." She squeezes Cheryl with the arm she still has draped around her shoulders. This earns a laugh out of Cheryl.

Once again, they sit in silence, enjoying each other's company. "So, there's still time, shall we finish that lab?" Veronica questions, referring to their chemistry assignment.

"I suppose, I mean _MY_ GPA could handle the zero, _yours_ however... " Cheryl teases, a devilish grin on her face.

Veronica playfully punches Cheryl's shoulder, "Hey! We can't all be Miss Straight As."

Cheryl gets up off the bench, extending her hand to help Veronica up. "If you need a tutor, you know where I live." She playfully pokes, sending a wink over her shoulder as she makes her way to the locker room door.

"I just might take you up on that." Veronica replies sincerely. She's not bad at chemistry by any means, but she could certainly use the extra help to keep her next test grade up. She hardly understands their current chapter.

They exit the locker room, and make their way down the hall together, on their way to finish out what was left of third period.

 **** **A/N: Wow! Three updates in as many days!? I'm spoiling y'all! I just was really excited to write this chapter so you lucked out. Hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think! Thanks again for all the support! And thanks for reading!**


	15. Lunch

"You should sit with us, at lunch?" Veronica tells Cheryl, though it sounds more like a question, as they gather they bags and stuff to leave class. The bell just rang signaling the transition to 4th period.

They made it back to chemistry with just enough time to finish their lab work. It's a good thing Cheryl knew what she as doing, because Veronica sure wouldn't have been able to finish it alone. Working together came very naturally to both girls. They could effectively communicate and get the work done in an efficient amount of time. They also managed to have fun along the way, laughing and goofing off like any normal set of teenagers would to help make class more entertaining. The bell rang too soon, the girls both sad that they'd have to leave each other once again. Chemistry was the only class they had together, and aside from lunch they wouldn't see each other until River Vixens practice after school.

"We'll see." Cheryl replies, neither accepting or declining Veronica's invitation to join them at lunch. She slings her purse over her shoulder, and picks up her books, holding them in her arms tight to her chest. As much as she would love to have lunch with Veronica, Cheryl isn't sure if she can handle being around Archie and the rest of them. Especially after the way she reacted when she last saw them at Pop's the other night. Not to mention, she's not sure how much Veronica has told all of them about what all's happened with them this weekend, and doesn't feel like being under a microscope. 

She notices the small frown Veronica tries to hide, it's only there for a moment, but Cheryl saw it none the less. It mad her incredibly sad. Cheryl doesn't want Veronica to think she's ashamed of her, because really, she's not. They are just in a complicated position. Everyone at that school knows them as bitter rivals. For them to, seemingly out of the blue, act as if that wasn't the case would spark much controversy. Due to both of their social status', it's hard for them to publicly make that transition from enemies to friends in such a short time without raising questions. People will be expecting an explanation. 

Cheryl can't risk people finding out about what happened at the lake. It's hard enough to recover as it is with only a handful of people, who've all been surprisingly helpful, knowing the details. Imagine if the entire school, no, the entire town was talking about it. She would never see the end of it. She tells herself being nonchalant with Veronica at school is for her best interests, but that doesn't prevent the heart shattering sadness she feels when she sees Veronica look down like that.

They emerge from the classroom, set to take their separate paths to 4th period, the last class before lunch. Veronica takes a few steps in the direction of her classroom, not even bothering to tell Cheryl goodbye. She doesn't make it far before Cheryl's hand wraps around her wrist, pulling her back. Veronica searches Cheryl's eyes for an explanation, her brows furrow in confusion. Cheryl lets out a small sigh, bracing herself for what she was about to say, "save me a seat?" she asks timidly.

The question is full of uncertainty. Cheryl not knowing if, 1-it was a good idea. 2-if she could handle seeing the others, and 3-if Veronica even still wanted her there.

Veronica smiles shyly, she moves her hand, of the wrist still captured by Cheryl's, and gives Cheryl's hand a quick squeeze before letting go to avoid questioning eyes. "Will do."

They silently say their goodbyes, before parting ways down opposite ends of the hall.

Fourth period goes by much quicker than either of Veronica's first two classes. She figures it's due to the fact that she no longer had to worry about how Cheryl's doing, or at least worry less. Now that she's seen her, and knows that she's somewhat ok, Veronica felt like she could actually focus on the lesson. She was wrong, however. Instead she was anxious about lunch.

Veronica knew asking Cheryl to sit with them was a risky move. She understands Cheryl's hesitation. They have that reputation issue to deal with, but also Cheryl hasn't properly seen Archie and the others since the night at the diner where she had her panic attack. Veronica understands it must be insanely difficult for Cheryl to be around them, because they've all seen her at her most vulnerable moment. She can't even begin to process how difficult that must be for someone like Cheryl. Knowing that the people who you despise the most, or did, suddenly have all the power over you. Cheryl was already so powerless in so many aspects of her life, to lose control over the last thing she had must be demoralizing. Plus, she had a feeling Cheryl didn't cope with humiliation well, not that her friends think anything about this situation, but that Cheryl probably feels humiliated _because_ she was so vulnerable with them.

Of the others, Betty is the only one who really knows how close Veronica and Cheryl have gotten over the weekend. She's filled her in via text in the few sparing moments Veronica had to herself. (When Cheryl was in the shower, off getting food, or still sleeping.) Granted, Veronica left out a few details for Cheryl's sake, ok and maybe hers as well. She didn't want Betty to know about how touchy feely they've been, lest she be teased, but also because she liked that she was the only one who saw that soft, needy side of Cheryl, and she wanted to keep that to herself.

Despite Betty and Cheryl's rocky, at best, past, Betty seemed to be very happy that Veronica and Cheryl had become friends, even mentioning that she hoped Cheryl and _HER_ could become friends as well. It wasn't a foreign concept, Betty and Cheryl being friends. They used to get along back in the day, playing together at recess in elementary school. Granted when you grow up in a small town, kids usually do get along when they're forced to grow up with the same handful kids from age five to thirteen. When they reach high school, where the pool of students quadruples in size, that's when things really begin to change. Cheryl climbed the social latter along with her twin brother, while Betty was content on keeping a pretty low profile. Not to mention Cheryl was a year older than Betty. She had a full year head start on her, by the time Betty joined her at high school, Cheryl was already on her way up.

Veronica figured Betty relayed some of what she's told her about Cheryl to Jughead, and maybe even to Archie. They all seemed to genuinely care about how Cheryl was doing, and that made Veronica feel good about the group of people she chose to hang out with. She could only hope that her they could become friends with Cheryl too. It's no secret that Cheryl needs some genuine people in her life, and Veronica wished they could be those people for her. If lunch was the first step to making that dream a reality, Veronica was going to make the most of it.

 **A/N: Hey y'all! I had to cut the chapter in half because it felt more natural that way, I'm hoping to get the second part up tomorrow, but I wanted to leave you with something. I have been getting so many wonderful messages from y'all lately and I'm just over the moon! You are the absolute best! Hope you enjoy the update and look out for the next one coming soon!**


	16. Lunch Pt 2

Lunch rolls around fairly quickly today, and Veronica make sure to get to their usual table first. She anxiously awaits the arrival of her friends, hoping they all sit down before Cheryl does, she wanted to have a word with them.

Betty and Jughead show up first, sitting at the table opposite of Veronica. "Hey V!" "Veronica." They greeted respectfully, as they sat. Veronica mimics their sentiments as she searches for Archie in the round of hungry students milling about the cafeteria. A moment late the redheaded boy makes his appearance and takes a seat next to Veronica.

Before Archie can say his hellos, Veronica chimes in with her speech, "I invited Cheryl to sit with us, and she said to save her a seat." Cutting to the chase. "Oh wait, where's Kevin?"

"He's out of town this week remember?" Betty reminds her friend.

"Yeah he wouldn't shut up about it, how could you forget?" Jughead adds.

"Whatever, that doesn't matter, in fact it's a good thing. We can't tell anyone about what happened on Friday," Veronica directs her next point specifically toward the blonde sitting across from her, "even Kevin." Betty nods in understanding.

"So Cheryl's gonna be sitting with us today, and I'm asking you, no telling you, please don't treat her like a victim or give her pity. She wants to move forward and reminding her of Friday isn't going to help. Just treat her like a friend, she really needs more of those, genuine ones I mean." The group just stares at her, a little baffled by her demanding tone. Veronica realizes she might have been a little strong, so she softens her voice and adds sincerely, "This means a lot to me, so please, don't do anything stupid."

Betty grabs the hand Veronica placed on the table at the end of her rant, "Of course. We all want to help Cheryl too, don't we boys?"

"Yeah." "Totally." Jughead and Archie respectfully agree.

Veronica let's out a sigh of relief at her friend's commitment to Cheryl. She really really wants them to get along, so she's so relieved the others are willing to forgive and forget how Cheryl's treated them in the past, and attempt to mend the strained relationships.

With that out of the way, the gang begins to eat and make idle chit-chat, while Veronica scans the crowd looking for Cheryl. She doesn't see her anywhere. She looks toward Cheryl's usual table, she sees Gia and Tina and the other nameless usual suspects, but no Cheryl in sight. She begins to worry if Cheryl got overwhelmed again and went somewhere to hide.

She's just about to get up to search the school for Cheryl, when the girl in mind walks up behind her, her soft voice breaking Veronica's internal worrying, "may I sit?"

Veronica whips around at the sound of Cheryl's voice, visibly relieved to see the redhead. She hurriedly moves her bag off the bench beside her and motions for Cheryl to sit down, "please." She adds trying not to sound desperate. Betty's the only one who seems to notice this.

Cheryl places her tray on the table and takes a seat next to Veronica. There is a tension in the air, and Veronica starts to get nervous, but before it can dwell too long, Jughead breaks the silence by quickly breaking the ice-a poor but fitting metaphor in this case, by addressing Cheryl with a question, "Hey Cheryl, maybe you could help me out, we were just talking about Archie here wanting to dye his hair, care to chime in?"

"Shut up Jug!" Archie says exhaustedly, he turns his attention to Cheryl, "I jokingly mentioned it once _WEEKS_ ago and Jughead won't let me live it down." He shrugs his shoulders, and turns his attention back to his food.

Jughead starts laughing hysterically, "oh come on! How is the thought of our resident ginger becoming a blonde not hilarious to you guys!"

"I don't know Juggie," Betty chimes in, she combs her fingers through his hair, "I think Arch would look good as a brunette." Insinuating she's attracted to brown hair.

This comment causes Jughead to recoil from Betty's touch, "That's not a super reassuring thing to say in front of your boyfriend."

The whole group laughs at how quickly the joke was flipped from Archie to Jughead. That'll teach him a lesson. It's quiet for a moment, as the group goes about eating their lunches. Cheryl finally chimes in, surprisingly to Jughead's defense, "I agree, Archie would make a terrible blonde, but I see what you mean Betty, brunette would suit him well."

Veronica is so happy seeing Cheryl interact with her friends, in a way that carries no real malice, just your regular old run of the mill teasing between friends. It's amazing how comfortable she feels with them all together like this. Cheryl feels like the perfect addition to the group. It's like she completes the circle.

Betty breaks Veronica from her thoughts by asking her to weigh in on the Archie hair controversy.

"Yea, I prefer red heads." She says, except Archie wasn't the redhead she was looking at when she made this statement. 

This is just the first interaction between Veronica and Cheryl that causes Betty to be curious. She begins to watch them throughout the remainder of lunch. She notices the way Veronica spends most of lunch staring at Cheryl, as opposed to chiming in on the conversations. How Cheryl would bump into Veronica as she leaned over her to speak more directly to either of the boys, seeming as if she was doing it on purpose. They way their voices were so soft and caring in tone when they spoke to or about each other. Plus, she swears she saw Veronica take hold of Cheryl's hand under the table for a moment. Everything about their body language hinted at a much closer bond than the one Veronica was explaining to her the day before.

The boys seemed to be unaware of this change, and Veronica and Cheryl acted as if this was all perfectly natural. And maybe it was, Betty thought. Maybe this is just how Cheryl acted with friends, when she's not trying to be the most powerful one in the room, when she's not busy tearing people apart for fun. Maybe this was the real Cheryl, a touchy-feely, caring, person who laughs and has the brightest smile. My gosh, Betty has never seen Cheryl smile as much as she has just now in talking to Veronica and the boys. Betty feels like she's an outsider watching this scene from afar, everything is moving in slow motion, despite the fact they are inside, everything looks sunny as if it were gleaming down directly on them. Betty didn't know what to think about it all, but she certainly was happy that Cheryl didn't look miserable for once in her life.

Snapping back to reality, Betty sees Jughead animatedly telling a story, that she's thankful she's already heard. Archie is laughing too hard for what the story actually merits, but that's how Archie reacts to most funny things. Veronica and Cheryl both watch Jughead in anticipation for the conclusion. That's when it dawns on her, Veronica has a crush on Cheryl. As if on cue, Veronica leans back a bit as Cheryl leans forward in laughter, as a result they become tangled in each other, and Veronica blushes. It's all the confirmation Betty needs.

Lunch ends all too soon for everyone at the table. It was a very enjoyable time full of laughs all around. As the bell rings Archie stuffs the final bite of his sandwich in his mouth as he quickly stands. "Hmph, sorry guys, if I'm late to Mr. Peterson's class one more time he's gonna doc my grade. See ya!" He takes off right away.

Betty jumps up next, pulling a reluctant Jughead up with her. "We've got some Blue and Gold stuff to work out, so we're gonna go. See you at practice!" A confused looking Jughead follows suit as the pair walk away, leaving Veronica and Cheryl at the table alone.

"So, thanks for sitting with us." Veronica says shyly.

"Thank you for inviting me." Cheryl responds, playfully bumping Veronica's shoulder.

Veronica stands, pulling her bag over her shoulder, and grabs her empty lunch tray. "I'm curious, what did you tell Gia and Tina to get out of sitting with them?"

"Oh, just that you needed a chemistry tutor, and this was the only time we could meet." Cheryl mimics Veronica's actions, and they make their way to the tray return area.

"And they believe that?" Veronica questions, afraid Gia and Tina would end up giving them the third degree later.

"They won't care, especially when I scare them into submission, they wouldn't dare question it." She's so nonchalant in tone. It almost scares Veronica, it's like the old Cheryl never left.

After dumping their trash and returning their trays, the girls take off out of the cafeteria and down the aisle. This time their classes were next to each other so they could walk across the school together. They make idle chatter as they walk down the halls. They make a quick pitstop at Veronica's locker since she didn't do so before, too concerned with being first to the table.

When they arrive at the doorway to Cheryl's classroom, Veronica chimes in, "So I'll see you at practice?"

"Yea, see you then." Cheryl affirms. Then Cheryl does something that surprises them both, she pulls Veronica in for a quick hug. 

She backs away just enough to look Veronica in the face, her arms still holding in to Veronicas. She notices the onlookers who seemed stunned by the interaction, but doesn't seem to care. "We'll deal with this later." She nods toward the group of people who were staring.

Veronica smiles wide, letting out a small laugh at how ridiculous people were being. The school's two most powerful opposing forces joining together could be a fun dynamic to exploit. The warning bell rings so the girls let go of each other and say their final goodbyes before entering their respective classrooms.

Only three more classes to go.

 **A/N: HEY! I promised I'd have this chapter up today, so here it is! Hope you enjoy! Thank you so so so so so so so so much for all the kind words y'all keep sending me. I cannot express how happy receiving those messages make me, or how excited they get me to write more. You guys are the best! let me know how you feel about this chapter!**


	17. History

**A/N: This chapter contains a text convo between Veronica and Cheryl, to help avoid confusion the texts Veronica sends are in bold, while Cheryl's are just regular face.**

Fifth period is uneventful to say the least, and Veronica could only hope the next two classes weren't as boring. However, she finds herself on the brink of falling asleep yet again, sitting rather uncomfortably at her desk during sixth period.

Nothing the teacher says is registering with Veronica, and she knows she's gonna regret not taking notes for this section. That's future Veronica's problem, she thinks as she lets her heavy eyelids close, toeing a dangerous line.

The vibration coming from her pocket is Veronica's saving grace, waking her up just in time to avoid getting caught. She pulls her phone from her pants pocket, a sly smile creeping on her face at the sight of the name on her screen. Cheryl Blossom.

She quickly checks to make sure her teacher isn't watching, before turning her attention back to the phone. There's a giddy sense of excitement bubbling up inside if her, and she suddenly feels energized, sleep no longer a threat.

Veronica opens the message to see a question, "How's history going? Have the Germans invaded Poland yet?" She laughs as she types out a reply. Hitting send.

 **"How did you know what class I'm in? You're also scary accurate on our lesson plan."**

Her phone vibrates almost instantly, "I have my ways ;)" The phone vibrates once again, "process of elimination...you have English 1st period, Algebra 2nd, Chem 3rd :), PE 4th, statistics 5th, history 6th, and study hall 7th." another text bubble appears, "also, Mr. Strong always starts his WWII section in November."

Veronica is a little taken aback by Cheryl's ability to correctly decipher her entire schedule. They only had the one class together, **"Wow, are you my new stalker? :p"**

Cheryl's response is instant. "I was bored."

Veronica wonders which class Cheryl's in, she begins to draft out a schedule, after sending her reply, **"So you thought deciphering my schedule was a good passtime?"**

The response is delayed, probably due to the fact that they're both in class, Veronica thinks. "Maybe I wanted an excuse to talk to you"

Veronica feels her face flush at this admission. **"You never need an excuse"** she quickly sends her reply, adding a smiley face for good measure.

Cheryl responds with the blushing emoji, but before Veronica can begin to decode what the meant, another text bubble appears, "God I'm so exhausted."

Veronica sighs I'm agreement while typing, **"Tell me about it, I almost feel asleep in 2 classes for far today."** **  
**  
"What's my punishment if I skip practice?" Cheryl asks.

Veronica knits her brow in confusion, **"Why are you asking me?"**

"You're the captain now, Ronn"

It's the first time Cheryl calls her by a nickname, and she can't control the grin on her face. Of course Cheryl has an original nickname. The majority of people in Veronica's life uses Ronnie for short, but it's very fitting of Cheryl to go even further with Ronn. It sounds so upper class, she can't help but laugh. She loves it.

Veronica completely forgot about being the new River Vixens captain. The dance off was so long ago, or at least it felt like it. So much happened between then and now, that it slipped her mind. **"Oh are we still sticking to that?"** **  
**  
"Why wouldn't we? You've got the HBIC shirt to probe it." Cheryl gave Veronica her HBIC cheer shirt as a gift the day she went to the river. It was a parting gift, but also a peace offering. While she was angry at Veronica stealing the ONE good thing she had left in her life. Or at least she thought is was the only thing she had. Turns out she had Veronica, and even her friends, and that's something way better than being in charge of some dumb high school cheerleading team.

 **"Yea but that was before,"** Veronica didn't mean to leave the sentence dangle like that. So she quickly types out another message and presses send, **"I only challenged you can I was mad at you"** **  
**  
God she could not believe how badly she kept putting her foot in her mouth, **"NO, mad at your parents actually."** She quickly clarifies. **"I unfairly took that anger out on you."**

Cheryl doesn't reply for a while, and Veronica begins to worry she said too much. Maybe this was a conversation they should be having face to face. She has to remind herself they they are in class, and technically not supposed to be on their phones, surely Cheryl was just unable to answer at the moment without getting caught. After a few minutes of silence, Veronica's phone vibrates. "My parents? Why?"

 **"Archie overheard them say some things, at that family reunion thing you dragged him to, that insinuated the idea that they are the reason my dad is in jail."** Another bubble, **"No, my dad is to blame, but that your parents tipped off the police."** Again, she's trying to make up for putting her foot in her mouth, **"God I sound like such an ass via text, can we talk about this later, in person?"** She's afraid she has upset Cheryl, and that their text conversation was over.

Her phone vibrates a few minutes later, putting an end to her fears. "That's probably for the best." A second text bubble appears right after, "So about practice? :)"

 **"Well If you skip practice how are you gonna get home?"** Veronica has a good point. It's not like Cheryl can ask someone for a ride home, just to ask them to take her to Veronica's house. It would raise too many questions. And walking there isn't exactly an option either. It's not _that_ far, but no, her shoes are not made for that.

"Touché"

 **"Tell you what, since I didn't realize I had a practice to plan in the first place, maybe we keep today a light day, just some quick cardio and stretching?"** Veronica offers.

"That would be wonderful, you're a lifesaver!" Veronica smiles at this reply, her phone vibrates yet again, "Literally and figuratively 3" Ok this one causes Veronica to blush.

" **You know I'm gonna need a lot of help with this captain thing."** She sends a follow up message, **"I've never been in charge of something like this."** Veronica is nervous about her newfound power position. When she challenged Cheryl the other day, she did so out of anger, not because she actually had any desire to be the team leader. She has no idea where to begin with something like this.

Cheryl replies with a supporting sentiment, "You'll be fine, the girls obviously already like you, especially more than me."

Veronica chews her thumb, she has an idea that could be a win for both of them, but she's unsure of how Cheryl would take it. She finishes typing her question and takes a deep breath before hitting send. **"Would you consider being my co-captain?"**

There's another delay in response, perhaps Cheryl was mulling over the idea. That or the teacher is making the rounds again. Finally, after what feels like forever, Veronica receives a new message. "I doubt the girls will enjoy that, they wanted me out for a reason."

Once again, Veronica feels like she may have upset the redhead by bringing up something possibly triggering. She tries to plead her case, **"Ok, but I'll be there to help bridge the gap. Communication is the key to a happy team, I can regulate that for you, while you focus on nailing routines."** She tries one more point, **"Just please think about it? For me? :)"** She feels silly pleading with Cheryl like that, it's not like she holds enough clout in Cheryl's eyes (or so she thought.)

Cheryl's reply is instant, "Fine, but let's see how your first day flying solo goes first." A new bubble appears, "You might not want my help after you've tasted the power."

Veronica laughs, **"lol sure :P"**

"Speaking from experience, it can be very ego inflating"

" **I bet you LOVE a good ego boost ;P"** Veronica can't help but tease.

"I do ;) and I'm not too proud to admit it" Veronica laughs audibly, perhaps too much so as a few of her classmates give her a weird look. Their attention turns away quickly as the bell signaling the end of the period goes off. Everyone gathers their things and begin to mill about, going from room to hallway.

Veronica sends one last text before standing up and gathering her own things, **"Oh well I guess that's our cue to go, I'll meet you at your locker after class. We can walk to practice together."**

Her phone buzzes as she leaves the room. "My very own chauffeur? Aren't I lucky."

Veronica replies before proceeding to open her locker to grab her things. " **Well I do drive you around :P"**

"True. Have a nice and productive study hall, I would text you, but I have calculus and unfortunately have to pay attention. *Ugh emoji*" Veronica receives her final text from Cheryl as she takes her seat in the corner of the classroom. She's a little sad that their conversation is over, but is relieved when she remembers this is the final class of the day.

Only one more hour till it's all over and she can relax. Well almost, practice first, then she can relax. She's so looking forward to getting back home, and getting to properly speak to Cheryl. Maybe they can have another movie night, Veronica thinks. She'd enjoy that very much. She sends off a final text before turning her attention to the books in front of her. If she can finish her homework now, that leaves more time she can spend with her new friend. **"Thanks :) try not to fall asleep! See you soon! 3"** **  
**

**A/N: Hey y'all I stayed up extra late so I could finish this up for you. I was on vacation last week so I had plenty of time to write, but now that I'm back to work, my updates will be slowing down. I'm gonna try my hardest to keep the wait times down, but just a heads up for ya. I appreciate your patience. Hope you enjoy the update! Thank you all so much for all the support, you guys really are the best!  
**


	18. Practice

Study hall proved to be a productive hour for Veronica for a change. On a typical school day, Veronica found her last class tiresome and unnecessary, usually only using the time to mess around on her phone or rest before practice. However, today she wanted to make sure she didn't have any homework to do _AT_ home. Less homework equals more time she can spend with Cheryl. Come to think of it, Veronica realizes she's incredibly lucky to have study hall last period, gives her time to get a head start on all that work the teachers assigned during the day. She should have been taking advantage of this hour, instead of resenting it.

The only school work she has left is a paper and a project that aren't due for a couple weeks. However, she was able to get a comfortable enough of a start on those to be able to leave those alone for a while. Veronica spent the last 10 minutes or so of the class continuing to decipher Cheryl's schedule, which she started last class and epically failed at. She thought she cracked the code until Cheryl mentioned she had calculus last. She had it listed as 1st, which means everything else had to be shifted.

The bell rings just as Veronica finishes writing in the last class. It was actually kind of fun trying to figure it out. It was like a fun puzzle, she can see why Cheryl found it more entertaining than the boring class she was in (statistics, if her list is correct.) Veronica quickly gathers her things and exits the classroom.

She makes a brief stop by her locker to put away the books she no longer needs to carry home since she's finished her homework. She takes a moment to study her reflection in the mirror hanging inside her locker door. After touching up her lipstick and messing with her hair, Veronica closes the door and makes her way, down the hall toward the redhead's locker.

Cheryl's already there, sans minions, for a change. Veronica wonders if Cheryl threatened them to stay away because of this meeting, or if they have been ignoring the redhead because she ditched them at lunch. Regardless, she was happy for the opportunity to visit with Cheryl alone for a few minutes.

Veronica takes the opportunity to sneak up on Cheryl. She places her hand over her friend's eyes, "guess who?"

"What are we in fourth grade Ronn?" Cheryl jokes, removing Veronica's hand to turn around and face her. There's that nickname again, except hearing Cheryl say it aloud makes Veronica's heart flutter. She could get used to that feeling.

She tries not to look so giddy as she continues to engage Cheryl in conversation. "How was calculus?"

Cheryl turns her attention back to her locker, rummaging through papers. She lets out an audible groan before answering, "The worst. I swear if this class messes up my perfect GPA I'm going to lose it." She continues to babble on about derivatives, logistical equations, and some other math mumbo jumbo Veronica didn't understand. The raven-haired girl could only hum in acknowledgement. Cheryl ends her mini rant by turning her attention to Veronica for a second as she asks, "How was study hall?"

Veronica smiles proudly as she explains how she finished all her homework, and how it was something she never really took advantage of before. She's seen the error of her ways, she laughs, and Cheryl agrees, "I _WISH_ I had a study hall. Instead I have stupid life skills management where they don't teach any _ACTUAL_ life lessons."

Cheryl explains how juniors and seniors are required to take developmental classes that are supposed to prepare them for post high school life, i.e., applying for college, writing resumes etc. ("The class is a complete waste of time because they don't actually teach you how to do those things, it's more like an hour where you have to write them and turn them in for credit.") It sounds like a joke. Study hall gets waived in order to make room for these classes. Veronica, not knowing about this set up, realizes she once again needs to redo her schedule puzzle. She's determined to figure it out without asking Cheryl!

Cheryl finishes rummaging through her locker and the pair set course for the gym, on the other end of the building. A beat after they begin walking, Cheryl speaks up, "I thought about it, and if you're still cool with it," she stops and turns to Veronica, "I'd love to be your co-captain."

"Really?!" Veronica practically squeals in the middle of the emptying hallway. "What happened to waiting till after practice, 'you might not want my help once you've tasted power'?" She uses air quotes when citing Cheryl's words from her text earlier.

"I need the power!" Cheryl laughs loud, before quieting down, she ushers them into a corner where the few students who were still milling around the hall wouldn't see them. "But seriously, it would be the perfect excuse for us to publicly hang out." She uses her hand to squeeze Veronica's arm, "Give it a week or so then people won't think twice about us being friends."

"Wow, you really put some thought into it." Veronica states, almost disappointedly.

"I'm sorry, I don't want you to think I'm ashamed of you or are embarrassed to be seen with you." Cheryl reaches out to reassuringly grab Veronica's arm. "It's just, we were practically cutthroat just last week. I just need to be able to properly transition this-" she stutters a bit, unsure of the exact word to say, 'relationship' comes to mind but it feels like it's too much, while 'friendship' didn't feel like enough. She settles for, "dynamic, without word getting out about why we're suddenly so close. The less the rumor mills have to analyze the better."

She didn't want anyone to find out about the events that happened this weekend, and that was perfectly understandable. Veronica knew from the beginning of the day that they would have to act differently around each other because of these circumstances, and she has no problem doing whatever it takes to make Cheryl feel comfortable.

This time Veronica reaches out to reassuringly grab Cheryl's arm. "Cheryl, you don't have to explain. I get it. I want this to be as easy for you possible. Anything you need me to do, or not do, just let me know." She rubs Cheryl's arm gently.

"Have I told you how thankful I am for you?" Cheryl asks, eyes downcast and the emotion evident in her wavering voice.

"A couple of times," Cheryl looks up, "but it sure doesn't hurt the ego to hear it again." Veronica winks. She knows exactly how to lighten the mood, and Cheryl is grateful for that, she smiles in return.

Cheryl pulls her in for a quick hug before she playfully pushes her away and runs off toward the gym. "Race ya!" She tells over her shoulder.

Veronica takes off down the hall after the fleeing redhead, laughing the whole way.

They reach the locker room, both girls huffing about who was first. They enter the locker room giggling, and the other girls turn to see where the noise was coming from. Cheryl clears her throat before sending death glares in the direction of every staring girl. The others get the memo and quickly turn their attention back to their lockers as they finish getting dressed for practice. Cheryl begins to walk to her locker, but Veronica stops her, grabbing her arm. "Wait," she digs around in her bag a moment, and pulls out a folded-up shirt. Cheryl's HBIC shirt. "You'll need this." Veronica tries to hand the shirt over to the redhead.

"No," Cheryl holds Veronica's hand, that is holding the shirt, in both her own. "You keep it. You've earned it."

"Are you sure?" Veronica asks tentatively.

"Yea, I wanted you to have it." Cheryl lets go of Veronica's hand, "Plus, lets be honest, it'll totally look better on you than me." She winks before nonchalantly walking away to begin changing.

Veronica stands there in shock, jaw slightly agape, for a moment. She bites her lip. If this is what them working together will be like, Veronica figures they are off to a good start.

 **A/N: Hey y'all! How excited are you that season 2 premiers so soon!? Just a quick answer to a question that I'm sure will be asked, the fic will NOT be following season 2 canon, as you can probably guess. This fic is a canon rewrite, and therefore I chose to ignore everything that happened in the season one finale after the scene at the river. Everything that happened before that IS part of this story canon. Therefore events like Cheryl burning down her house and Fred getting shot, did not happen in this universe. Just wanted to clear that up before the new season starts. I hope you enjoyed this update! As always please leave me a comment or send me a message to let me know what ya think! Thanks again for all the lovely compliments and support! Keep an eye out on my tumblr (iwouldneverleaveher) for more Cheronica content!**


	19. Practice Pt 2

Practice begins a few minutes late because Veronica and Cheryl wouldn't stop goofing off in the locker room. It was a weird sight to see, all the girls on the team, except Betty, looked on in confusion. Staring practice late wasn't a very professional way to beginning your reign as team captain, but Veronica didn't seem to mind. It wasn't until Betty reminded her that _SHE_ was in charge, did she realize she had to do something.

"Right!" Veronica exclaims as she stumbles up to the front of the gym, "Ok listen up ladies. Before we begin today's work out, I have a couple of announcements. First, I just want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to lead you in what's left of this season. I want you to know if you have anything to say or talk about, please come talk to me. I don't bite," she turns to Cheryl to mouth the word "much" throwing a playful wink her way, continuing the teasing they started in the locker room. The boldness of this move causes Cheryl to blush. "Second, since I'm new to this type of position I'm going to need help, so…" she stalls, knowing the reaction to the reveal will be less than favorable, "I'm instating Cheryl as my co-captain."

The girls, except Betty, audibly groan. A few roll their eyes. Even Gia and Tina seem visibly annoyed by the news. Betty begins to clap, but awkwardly stops when no one joins her. Cheryl walks over to Veronica so the two of them are facing their teammates. The silence is deafening. Veronica chimes in, angry at the girls reactions, "Alright, you know you should be thanking Cheryl, one, for everything she's done for this team, but also because it was her idea that we make today a light practice." The girls visibly perk up a bit at this news. "But we can change that if you want." The girls look ready to protest this action, no one wants a hard workout.

Cheryl places a hand on Veronica's arm, quietly whispering, "Veronica you don't have to-do this."

"Of course I do." Veronica quietly replies. She gives Cheryl a soft smile before turning her attention to the team. Her face hardens as she begins her speech, determined to scare the girls into cooperating. Cheryl was her co-captain whether they like it or not, so they better get used to it. "Now as co-captains, anything Cheryl and I say, goes. If you have a problem with that please come to me, and I promise we'll work together to compromise."

The group of cheerleaders weakly nod in acceptance, hoping Veronica would drop it and continue with their light practice routine.

"Now that that's out of the way. Let's start with a warm up run, before our workout." Veronica announces, she claps her hands together to signal the girls to start.

As the girls take off on their usual route, Veronica turns to Cheryl, "I could get used to this." The devilish grin on her face makes Cheryl laugh.

"Just don't let it go to your head. We both know what happens then." Cheryl gestures to herself, referencing her own downfall.

"So," she places her hands on her hips, "what do you usually do while the girls are out running?" Veronica asks, curious as to what Cheryl was busy doing during the warm up she never took part in.

"Nothing. I just wait." Cheryl nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders.

Veronica playfully scoffs, of course Cheryl used her position of power to get out of doing the work. She grabs Cheryl's arm dragging her along, "Come on, not anymore."

Cheryl rolls her eyes, but doesn't protest. Instead she just picks up her pace.

…

Practice doesn't last long considering they decided to keep the workout light today. After the warm up run, Veronica lead the team in a round of yoga poses to help them stretch out, which lasted about 30 minutes. Then Cheryl showed the girls a couple of new moves for a routine she was working on. She demanded they practice it at home, that way they can begin learning the full routine next practice. All in all it was a pretty successful first day Veronica thought.

In the locker room, Betty, Veronica, and Cheryl idlily chat as they change back into their school clothes. They linger around the locker room longer than the majority of the other girls. The locker room, and the school in general has cleared out by now. They exit the locker room to make their way outside to their cars. "Jug and I are meeting Archie at Pops tonight to study for midterms. You should come." Betty mentions, " _BOTH_ of you." She adds as an earnestly. She needed Cheryl to know she was included in the invitation.

"Thanks B, we'll let you know." Veronica replies. Betty nods in acknowledgement. As much as Veronica would like to meet up with the gang, she honestly just wants to spend some time alone with Cheryl. She wants to find out how the redhead's day was. How she was feeling. Whether or not she needed anything. She wanted to check up on Cheryl's wellbeing, but she also just wanted to hang out with her new friend.

As the three girls make their way to the parking lot, Cheryl stops in her tracks, "shoot, I forgot my math book, I'll be right back."

Veronica stops Cheryl by grabbing her arm, "Want me to go with you?"

"Its ok." Cheryl reassures, "I'll meet you at the car."

Betty and Veronica continue their walk towards the exit as Cheryl heads the opposite way. "SO," Betty begins, dragging out the single syllable, "you and Cheryl seem really close."

"Yea," Veronica smiles widely, an action that doesn't go unnoticed by her friend, "it's actually really nice." She looks over at Betty, "She's not the devil incarnate like we all thought."

Betty laughs. "That's great, I'm really glad she has you." She adjusts the strap on her backpack, "And I hope she knows the rest of us are here for her too, if she wants."

"I already gave her the package deal speech," Veronica pauses a moment, "twice actually." She adds as she recalls the threatening speech she gave Cheryl the day of their River Vixens tryout. She lightly laughs at the memory. She found it hard to believe there was ever a time the two of them were at such odds.

"So tell me," Betty begins to prod. "What's this new Cheryl like?"

"Well, she's-" Veronica doesn't know what to say. She wants to respect Cheryl's privacy. They reach the door and exit the building. Veronica continues, " she's soft…Cheryl's got so many layers, but at the core of it all, she's just this soft human looking for love." She pauses a moment, the expression on her face sad. "God knows she doesn't have enough of that in her life."

Betty could only hum in reply. Even thought she had a feeling Veronica hadn't told her everything about Cheryl's relationship with her Mother, she could see it wasn't healthy. She understood that Cheryl was probably desperate for someone to care about her, the way Jason once did. She couldn't imagine how hard his death must have been on her, now that she has a better understanding of what her home life was like.

"Is she still staying with you?" Betty inquires. She knew Cheryl had spent the weekend with Veronica, but she wasn't sure if she'd be staying longer.

Veronica nodded, "Yea, her home is much too toxic."

Betty bites the inside of her cheek, a tad uncomfortable with the idea of Cheryl's family being abusive. What an unfortunate situation, it almost makes her sick. "How long do you guys plan on playing house?"

"Umm..." Veronica's a bit confused by Betty's choice of words. They weren't playing house. They were more like roommates, as if they were sharing a dorm room at university. "Well," She throws her hair over her shoulder, "my mom hates Cheryl and wants her out before Daddy gets home, so probably a couple months." Her shoulders shrug.

"Then what? She's forced to return home?" Veronica stops in her tracks, halfway through the parking lot at this. It's like she had been hit by a ton of bricks.

"I'm not sure. I guess I never really thought about it." Betty can tell the wheels in Veronica's head are turning, trying to figure out the logistics of their current living situation.

Betty decides to change the topic, so Veronica doesn't spend the rest of her evening feeling down about the harsh reality of knowing Cheryl will eventually have to return home, whether she likes it or not. "Will I see you guys at Pops?" Bringing up her earlier request.

"Possibly. Is it crazy that I kinda just want to spend the night in with Cheryl?" Veronica's voice is full of uncertainty. Betty can tell this question holds a more vulnerable meaning than Veronica is letting on, or even realizes for that matter.

"A little," Betty laughs, "but in a good way. It's good that you're friends now."

Veronica smiles to herself. They reach Betty's car first, which was parked a couple rows closer to the building than Veronica's. As Betty opens her passenger door to put her bag inside, she adds, "Cheryl needs someone like you in her life, and by the looks of it, you need her too."

Veronica laughs, scoffing lightly at Betty's comment. "What are you getting at?"

"Nothing," she holds her hand up to signal she means no ill will, "I'm just saying, I've seen the way you look at her." Betty teases.

Veronica crosses her arms across her chest, "What exactly are you insinuating Betty?" Her tone obvious that she's not that getting it.

"Woah, no need to get hostile. I'm merely pointing out that Cheryl has affected you more than you might think." She opens her car door, "speaking of.." She trails off as she nods up, directing Veronica's attention in front of her. Cheryl is only a few yards away, walking toward them. "If you could see the stupid grin on your face right now, you'd understand what I'm talking about." And with that Betty gets in her car and drives off, waving at Cheryl as she drives by, leaving a dumbfounded Veronica standing awkwardly alone.

Cheryl reaches her a few moments later. "What's up with you?" The redhead asks, snapping veronica out of her thoughts.

"Huh, what?" Veronica turns her attention to Cheryl. She begins to walk toward her car, Cheryl following suit.

"You looked a little 'deer in the headlights' you ok?" The concern is noticeable in Cheryl's voice.

They reach the car and Veronica opens the back door to place her bag in the seat. "Yea, Betty's just being weird. Ready to go?"

Cheryl happily hums in agreement, getting into the car. They drive off toward Veronica's house, Cheryl blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil going on in Veronica's mind…

A/N: Yoo! So what did y'all think of the season premiere?! I must say it was seriously lacking in Cheronica content, and Cheryl in general, but I'm still hyped for next week. Send me a message, let's talk about Riverdale! Hope you enjoy this fun little update. I love Betty teasing an unknowing Veronica! Thanks for all the support! 


	20. Catharsis

They go straight to Veronica's room when they reach the apartment. Veronica has been avoiding her Mother since their fight the other day. And it seems Hermione was doing the same thing, except she was avoiding Cheryl.

Veronica unceremoniously flops back onto her bed, letting out a long sigh. Cheryl crawls up onto the bed next to her, laying on her side, head propped up by her hand. "Rough day?" Cheryl asks with a laugh.

"Long day." Veronica replies looking up at her friend. "What about you?"

Cheryl lays back mimicking Veronica's position, staring up at the ceiling. "Same."

They lay there in silence for a few minutes, just taking the time to rest a moment. Cheryl is the first to speak up, she hesitates at first, knowing the conversation they were about to have was not exactly fun, "you mentioned...my parents possibly having something to do with your father...?" She leaves it hanging, so Veronica can control the direction of the conversation. To say Cheryl had been worrying about this all day was an understatement. It took all of her energy from asking about it sooner, but she understood the need for privacy, practice was neither the time nor place, but now that they are alone it's as good a time as any.

Veronica rolls over on to her side, facing Cheryl. She pulls her arms up under her head and lets out a sharp breath. "When the Blossom board of trustees were in town, Archie overheard your parents talking at the dinner. Your mother said, almost verbatim 'maybe should've sent her to jail instead if Hiram' they were talking about my mom, and the drive-in land." Cheryl breaks the eye contact, not able to look Veronica in the eyes upon hearing what her parents implied. She felt terrible knowing her parents are most likely involved in the Lodge's affairs like that. She knew her parents were master manipulators, she had to learn it somewhere, but this was too much.

Veronica doesn't seem to want to dwell on what Cheryl's parents did, so she continues, diverting the conversation. "Archie didn't stick around long enough to hear any more, something about you kissing him."

Cheryl's face flushes in embarrassment. She didn't realize Archie told anyone about that. God how stupid she felt, and now knowing that the whole gang probably knows, she felt even worse. "God I'm so sorry for kissing your boyfriend."

Veronica quickly sits up, her gaze downward to meet Cheryl's eyes. "There is no need to apologize. First off, he was dating Val at the time so if you really did want to apologize to someone it'd be her. Second," she looks away now, her back to Cheryl due to their positioning. "Archie and I are no longer."

This admission perks Cheryl's attention enough for her to sit up a bit, resting back on her elbows. "I didn't realize-"

"It was a mutual thing, we just both have too much going on right now." Veronica shrugs her shoulders, indicating it's no big deal. Cheryl's a little surprised by how cool Veronica seems to be with it. It's not like they were together that long, but the buildup had been there since Veronica came to Riverdale. For them to give up already seems crazy to her.

Cheryl didn't want to come off as conceited, but she couldn't help but wonder, "My...situation didn't have anything to do with it, did it?" She didn't want Veronica to stop living her life because she somehow feels responsible to take care of her. She doesn't want to be an obligation in Veronica's eyes.

"To be honest," Veronica pauses a moment, unsure if she should continue her train of thought, "a little." She reaches out to grab Cheryl's hand to reassure her. "But it was going south before this."

It's silent for a moment. Veronica doesn't know how to continue and Cheryl doesn't know where to begin.

Veronica makes a bold move by laying down, her head resting on Cheryl's stomach, she grabs Cheryl's hand and begins to absentmindedly play with her fingers. "Since we're bring up old shit, I should apologize," Veronica begins, catching Cheryl off guard. "At Jugheads party...I said some horrible, disgusting things to you." She recalls insinuating Cheryl and Jason had an incestuous relationship, as well as accusing Cheryl of murdering him because she was jealous of Polly.

Cheryl holds her breath, remembering the moment. If she was being completely honest with herself, Cheryl would admit that that slander was the final tipping point causing her downward spiral. She feels sick just thinking about it. Those words destroyed Cheryl in a way she never realized she could. For someone who was already so broken inside, those words proved she was able to break even further.

Cheryl can tell Veronica is beginning to get emotional, she can't exactly see her face, but the crack in Veronica's voice gives her away. "I'm not trying to make excuses, but I know I misdirected my anger for your parents toward you, and that was _so_ wrong of me." A tear trails down the side of her face, and Cheryl can feel the wetness through her shirt.

Veronica reaches up with her free hand to wipe away the tears. "I don't understand how you can even be around me after insinuating something like that, and in front of half the school no less." Her tears begin to fall faster, the days of built up tension finally breaking free.

Cheryl squeezes the hand that's holding hers, resting atop Veronica's abdomen. Tears begin to pool in her own eyes, and she doesn't even try to wipe them away, instead she just squeezes her eyes closed, breathing deeply. She wants to depress that feeling, that memory, but she's not strong enough. She lets the emotion roll through her, crying harder.

They lay there like that, Veronica's head in Cheryl's stomach, holding hands, for what feels like forever. They are together, feeling, letting out the toxic emotions, and holding onto each other for comfort. It's a very cathartic experience for them both. The silence is consuming, only the sounds of their breathing stir around them. Neither of them move, not even to brush the tears on their faces.

After approximately an hour of just simply existing, feeling, together, once the tears stop and the breathing slows, Cheryl carefully brings their conjoined hands to her lips. She places a soft kiss on the backside of Veronica's hand, before returning them to their previous position. A silent gesture of forgiveness. She breaks the silence, her voice a small raspy whisper, "I'm not going to lie, that night really fucked me up." She takes a deep breath, Veronica's head ascending with the expansion of Cheryl's diaphragm. "It's not like I haven't heard that accusation before," the incest, "either really," she adds referring to the accusation of murder, "but I don't know, hearing it come from your mouth...it fucked me up." After the time they spent together the weekend of Jason's funeral, Cheryl felt she could trust Veronica. She of all people knew how much Jason meant to her, she listened to her stories, saw all the pictures, witnessed first-hand her absolute restlessness the night before the vigil. It was Veronica who held her crying figure close that night, reassuring her that she wasn't alone, that Jason would always be with her. So hearing those damming words come from the one person who seemed to understand, killed Cheryl in so many ways.

The tears that had long since stopped flowing down Veronica's face, reemerge, as Cheryl continues. "We've both been terrible human beings to each other." Veronica lightly chuckles at this; no statement could be truer. Cheryl smiles, "but you've been pretty great to me lately and that's what matters."

Veronica turns her head so she can look at Cheryl's face for the first time since laying down. The goofy looking mascara and tear stains on her cheeks cause Cheryl to smile, a sight Veronica desperately needed to see in this moment. "You've been pretty good to me too."

Cheryl laughs lightly in disbelief, "what have _I_ done for YOU?" Cheryl feels like she's been nothing short of a mess all weekend. How could she have been of any value to Veronica, she wonders.

"You've been good _FOR_ me." Veronica clarifies. It feels strange to admit, but just being with Cheryl these past few days has opened Veronica's eyes to so many things she never knew about herself.

"We're good for each other." Cheryl affirms.

"God we're such saps." Veronica laughs, and Cheryl follows suit, causing Veronica's head, which was still resting on Cheryl's abdomen, to bob up and down, which only causes Veronica to laugh harder. The heavy atmosphere fades away as the sounds of laughter fill the air.

When the laughter dies down and the girls catch their breath, Cheryl questions, "so, should we go to Pop's?"

Veronica sits up, turning her body toward Cheryl, "you really want to?"

"Why not? Plus, I think we could use a break from this." She gestures between them, indicating that the need to escape this weird, heavy, suffocating atmosphere they created. Enough with the crying and deep confessions, they had done enough of that today, the whole weekend really. They deserved to have a little fun for a change.

"What you mean you don't _love_ this?" Veronica playfully asks as she scoops Cheryl up into a big bear hug, rocking them to and fro.

Cheryl tries to squirm her way out of Veronica's grasp with no luck. It's not until she blows a wet raspberry on Veronica's cheek, that the raven hair girl retracts in a fit of laughter. "Gross!" She feigns disgust.

Cheryl uses her hand to wipe away the wetness on Veronica's cheek. She then places a quick peck to the same spot before hopping off the bed and running to the closet. "Let's pick outfits for each other to wear, and see if the gang notices!" Cheryl happily squeals, pushing hanger after hanger aside, searching through _her_ clothes for the perfect piece for Veronica.

Veronica stands, "The gang?"

"What?" Cheryl looks over her shoulder momentarily before turning her attention back to the clothes, "It's easier to refer to them as a group than to individually name everyone."

"No." Veronica smiles widely, not that Cheryl can see it, "It's not that. Just the way you said it, it sounds like you finally believe you're part of it." It's something she's been trying to communicate and convince Cheryl of for the past couple days. She walks over to Cheryl and places a hand on her shoulder.

Cheryl turns back to look at the girl standing next to her, "thanks." For letting me be a part of the gang, for bringing us together, for being there for me, for showing me what friendship is, among other things float around Cheryl's head, words unsaid. All she can say is thanks.

Veronica merely squeezes Cheryl's shoulder under her hand, understanding the unspoken baggage that that word carries. She turns her attention to the other side of the closet where her clothes hang, looking for the right outfit to highlight Cheryl's beauty.


	21. Pop's

About two hours later the girls finally arrive at the diner. It would've been sooner if it weren't for Cheryl's insistence they try on numerous different outfits in order to find "the perfect one." Veronica didn't mind though, they had lots of fun goofing off, trying on ridiculous outfits just for fun, and taking lots of pictures, both solo and together. The whole thing felt like a movie montage straight out of an early 2000s chick flick. Just their style.

They finally settle on wearing outfits that reflect each other's signature colors. It's obvious Cheryl's wardrobe contains a _LOT_ of red, but surprisingly Veronica's has an almost equal amount of blue. They realize how similar their wardrobe actually is, so even though they are actually wearing each other's clothes, no one would know it. It was still fun to play around, plus now they both realize their wardrobe just doubled! That fact alone was well worth it.

Betty's face lights up with a wide smile the moment she see the two enter Pop's. Veronica had text her a few minutes ago telling her to save them seats. "You made it!" She exclaims as the girls reach the table.

The boys each say their hellos upon the girls scooting into the booth, Cheryl sits next to Archie, with Veronica on her left, while Jughead and Betty sit across from them on the other side.

"Oh Cheryl," Archie speaks up, taking the other redhead by surprise. "I meant to ask earlier, wanna sign my cast?" He moves his arm to sit in front of her on the table. Signatures from a bunch of his friends can be seen strewn about the surface, Betty, Jug, Veronica, Reggie, even _ALL_ of the Pussycats' names are present.

Cheryl hesitates a moment, still uncomfortable knowing she's the reason he needs this thing in the first place. Veronica senses Cheryl's reservation and places a comforting hand on her knee, under the table. This action does not go unnoticed by the ever-observant Betty. Cheryl grabs the sharpie Archie holds out for her, the one he no doubt has been carrying all day for this sole purpose.

She finds a large enough blank space and signs away. She then, raises Archie's hand and meets it halfway with her lips, placing a kiss just to the left of her name. When she pulls away there is a perfect lipstick stain, in her signature red of course. She smiles at her handiwork and the others laugh at how perfectly Cheryl that move was. "Thanks Cher." Archie smiles genuinely.

Not much studying gets done now that the girls have arrived. Not that they were getting much done before hand to begin with. Books cast aside to make room for milkshakes and fries, as the gang debates the 'to dip or not to dip question.'

"You've gotta dip the fries!" Jughead exclaims, "Perfect combination of salty and sweet."

"Gross, no the hot and cold factor is too opposing." Betty practically shudders, watching Jughead take a fry and scoop it through his chocolate milkshake.

"I'm with Jug, you gotta dip em." Archie agrees, taking the same action.

"It depends on what flavor of shake you get," Cheryl begins her argument. "Chocolate yes, vanilla ok," she shakes her hand in a 'so-so' manner "strawberry no."

Jughead responds, pointing a fry in Cheryl's direction. "Mmm flavor's not a factor in my case, but I see your point."

"Nope. Still not buying it." Betty laughs. She seems to be the only one on the side of 'no fries in milkshakes.'

Veronica throws her hat into the ring, "Look, some things go together that you wouldn't expect, leather and lace, gingham and seersucker," of course they are both fashion related, she continues rather mater of factly, "me and Cheryl." She looks at the girl sitting next to her for a brief moment with a smile, she turns away continuing her point before she can see the faint blush on the redhead's cheek. "Fries and milkshakes are just another one of those pairings."

This seems to end the debate with everyone just laughing and moving on to another topic of discussion. The boys still dipping their fries.

About 45 minutes later Archie's phone buzzes, vibrating the table top. As a group they try to not use their phones when they are out together like this, a common courtesy to enjoy and spend time with the people around you. Considering everyone who Archie talks to on the regular is sitting at the table, he knows it must be his dad. He opens the message to find he was correct. "Hey. I've gotta get going. Dad needs my help at home." Cheryl and Veronica slide out of the booth to let Archie go. "I'll see you tomorrow." He addresses the group as he puts on his letterman jacket, leaving the diner shortly after.

Since she's already standing, Cheryl uses the opportunity to pick a song on the jukebox. When she states what she was planning to do, Betty grabs her wrist before she can fully turn around. She turns to her boyfriend, who once again looks at Betty confused. "Hey, Jughead why don't you go with her?" She turns her attention to Cheryl, "he loves that thing." A small eye roll accompanying her words. Jughead shoves the last bite of his burger into his mouth, dusts of his hands, and hops over the back of the booth. He places a hand on the small of Cheryl's back briefly to guide her across the diner.

Betty turns her attention to the only person left at the table, Veronica sitting across from her. "So, what changed your mind? I thought you wanted to stay in with Cheryl tonight."

Veronica finishes the last bit of her second milkshake that night. "It was Cheryl's idea. She likes being a part of the 'gang'" she uses air quotes, "as she called us earlier."

Betty awws in response. She's glad Cheryl feels like she has friends now, she has to admit, she really enjoys Cheryl's company too. "Soooo," elongating the word, always a sign she's about to ask a personal question. "what's going on with you two?"

Veronica's brow nits in confusion. She grabs Cheryl's milkshake and takes a sip.

"Veronica, don't play dumb. You know what I mean." Betty insists. She leans forward, quietly whispering, "you _like_ her."

Veronica quickly matches Betty's pose, leaning far across the table, "shhhh. It's nothing." She shakes her head, she adds a moment later. "just a silly crush is all."

Betty sits back, a hand over her mouth in shock. She didn't actually believe Veronica would admit it so easily. Once again, she leans forward, elbows on the table, head resting in her palms. "Is that why you broke up with Archie?"

"What?! No!" Veronica protests, a little louder than she'd like. She straightens up, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Archie and I were on our way down without Cheryl's help."

Betty doesn't exactly believe that, but doesn't dwell on it, moving forward, "What are you gonna do?" asking curiously.

"Nothing." Veronica shrugs her shoulders. "Cheryl needs friends right now. She doesn't need me screwing that up by complicating things with feelings." She shoves a fry in her mouth rather unceremoniously. Betty can tell she's upset.

Betty reaches out to grab Veronica's hand. "I get that, but you can't just stop feeling for the sake of Cheryl's well-being. You'll just end up hurting yourself."

"Yea, but right now she's still recovering. It's only been 3 days since the lake."

Betty sits back again, uncomfortably crossing her arms across her chest. "Its hard to believe it's _ONLY_ been that long." Three days was nothing. A weekend really. How has it only been three days? What happened at the lake felt like a distant memory to Betty now. However, she figures she's removed from the situation. She's not reliving it every day with Cheryl by her side. It must be so different for Veronica who has to constantly keep that experience in mind because she's busy helping her _through_ it.

The realization must be evident on Betty's face because Veronica speaks up, "Exactly." She takes another sip of Cheryl's milkshake. "It's too soon to even consider 'making a move.'" She uses air quotes, and internally cringes at her words. She unintentionally sounds so predatory. The last thing she wants is for Cheryl to think she's taking advantage of her fragile state for her own sick fantasy. That's _not at all_ what this is about.

"I can't believe I'm advocating for this," Betty begins in disbelief, "but you two would be so cute together." If you told her last week she'd be openly rooting for Veronica and _CHERYL_ to get together, Betty would've never believed you. She might not have been as gung-ho about "Varchie" as she led on the other day, but she was finally starting to warm up to the idea of them together, now she ships Veronica with a _very_ different redhead.

Veronica blushes at her friend's comment. She tries to hide it, but what's the point. "I _REALLY_ like her B." She admits, her voice sad at the reality of their situation.

Betty silently takes Veronica's hand into her own, offering a comforting squeeze, just in time for the aforementioned girl and Jughead to arrive back at the table. Betty pulls away but sends a sly smile and wink Veronica's way. The raven-haired girl merely rolls her eyes at her friend.

"Sorry it took so long, apparently Jug and I have more in common than we thought." Cheryl mentions as she slides in next to Veronica. Betty smiles at her use of Jughead's nickname.

"Girls got good taste in music, I'm a bit surprised." Jughead laughs.

"Just because I'm the bitchy rich snob, doesn't mean I'm one dimensional." Cheryl quips back.

"True." Jughead nods his head and tips his glass to Cheryl in agreement. He proceeds to suck down the last quarter of his milkshake.

Cheryl realizes _HER_ milkshake is sitting in front of Veronica. She gives her friend a sly look as she drags it back across the table and takes a sip, batting her eyelashes accusingly.

Veronica merely shrugs, owning up to it. This causes Cheryl to laugh, she bumps her shoulder into her playfully, before sliding her milkshake back over to Veronica. A silent offer, letting her know it's ok.

Betty can't help but beam at the entire exchange, knowing that flirting was more than just joking. She just hopes it's on both ends.

The four of them spend the next hour just chatting and goofing off, telling stories, jokes, even discussing more serious topics. It's not until Betty's mom interrupts the fun with a phone call and a request to come home, that the evening ends.

Betty and Jughead get up to leave. Of course Jughead has to leave as well since he drove his girlfriend here. Betty hugs Cheryl first, before hugging her bestie. Jughead places some tip money on the table before nodding goodbye to the girls. And then there were two...

"So should we head out too?" Veronica asks turning her attention to the redhead sitting next to her.

"You wanna share one last milkshake?" Cheryl rebuts.

Veronica groans, "mmm normally I would, but I've already had two and a half, not to mention all the fries I stole from Archie. I'm way too full."

Cheryl heartily laughs. She gathers her things, and puts on her coat, standing she extends her hand to help Veronica out of the booth. Veronica puts on her coat before linking her arm around Cheryl's as the make their way to Veronica's car.

"Thanks for making me get out of the house." Veronica thanks Cheryl as she pulls the car out of the diner parking lot.

"I promise we can spend tomorrow night in." Cheryl reaches across the console and grabs Veronica's hand, "We needed this today." Referring to the heavy conversation they had earlier this evening, and everything else that's happened this weekend really. It was nice for them to get out of the confines of Veronica's room for a few hours. She gives Veronica's hand a tight squeeze, releasing it so Veronica can return it to the wheel. It may have only been three days since Cheryl's incident, but so much has happened since then, and though it was under unfortunate circumstances, Veronica is more than happy to be along for the ride.

 **A/N:** **HELLO! I was able to get this up a day early! I'm very excited about the chapters to come and I'm just dying to publish them (I still have to write them) so I'm trying to tweak my update my schedule so I can get them out sooner. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's fun to write the whole gang together, I just really like seeing Cheryl have friends. I hope the show starts including her in more scenes with them. Thank you so much for all the wonderfully kind words y'all keep sending me! I never get tired of reading all your lovely message so please keep em coming! haha**


	22. Montage

Three weeks pass since that night at Pop's. During that time Veronica and Cheryl grow into a routine. It takes a few days for them to work put all the kinks, but by the end of the first week of living together they figure it out.

The most difficult part was coming to a compromise on how/when they would get ready for school. While both girls are very much into fashion and makeup, their usual routines are conflicting to say the least. First off, Cheryl likes to get up around 6am to begin her morning, this bothers Veronica to no end because she's one to sleep in till 7, sometimes even as late as 7:15.

They compromise on a "no alarm until 6:30" rule. This way Cheryl can still get up early, she usually wakes up before the alarm anyway, it's more of a safety net than anything.

Sometimes Veronica will get up when the early alarm goes off. But the majority of the time she rolls around in bed for another 30 minutes before reluctantly getting ready herself.

By the time Veronica gets up, Cheryl has already showered and gotten dressed. She's usually in the middle of quietly applying her make-up, or brushing her damp hair at the vanity in the corner of Veronica's room.

Veronica let's Cheryl use her vanity, while she uses the sink and mirror in the bathroom. That way Cheryl can continue getting ready while Veronica showers. It took them a couple of days to figure out the simple solution, avoiding any more awkward half naked run ins.

They usually go out for breakfast. The less time they have to spend with Veronica's mother the better. On the rare occasion Hermione is gone, they stay home and make french toast, Cheryl's favorite. When they go out it's usually nothing fancy, a drive through, gas station donuts, bagels from the bakery a few blocks away from the Pembroke.

The drive to school is usually spent having a quick karaoke session. Both girls love music and singing, and nothing's better than singing along to the radio with your best friend. They often take turns picking the music, whether it be a CD or from a Bluetooth streaming device. They like to introduce each other to new bands and artists. It's like a secret game to see who has better taste. Both of the girls think it's them as opposed to the other.

Once at school, the girls make their way to the student lounge to meet Betty and kill time before the bell, the boys are usually late. After the bell rings, Betty and Veronica bid Cheryl farewell as they walk together to English. Cheryl meets Veronica at her locker between 1st and 2nd period, just to say hello.

They meet again in between 2nd and 3rd period to walk to their chemistry class together, where they always spend more time goofing off than paying attention to the actual lesson. The teacher has to often remind them to take notes or work on the lab.

When lunch rolls around the whole gang is together again. It's everyone's favorite part of the school day. Cheryl feels completely integrated in the friend group now, it's hard to imagine what it was like before she came along. Perhaps most surprising, is how close Cheryl and Jughead become. They discover they have a lot of similar interests, starting with that music conversation they had that night at Pop's. Cheryl and Archie have a bit of an awkward start given their history, but Archie's natural charm makes things go back to normal quick. As for Betty, her and Cheryl bond over how screwed up their family tree is. They ARE cousins after all.

Everybody gets along really well. Even Kevin, who is still confused as to why Cheryl all of a sudden has become a certified _Archie Gal_ _TM_ , gets along with the redhead. His first day back from his week of absence is nothing short of a sketch comedy skit:

Kevin, tray in hand, approaches his usual lunch table to find it to be occupied by the one and only Cheryl Blossom, only in both senses of the word, his friends nowhere to be found. "Umm," he begins not sure why she's there.

Cheryl catches him off guard by actually sounding rather pleasant in her reply, "Kevin! A lot has happened while you were gone. Please sit, let me explain." She pats the table across from her, ironically inviting him to sit at _HIS_ unusual spot at _HIS_ usual lunch table. "Am I getting punked?" Kevin asks, looking around him for the other or something to explain what's going on.

"As I'm sure you know, my family has been ravaged by evil as of late, and in the heartbreaking aftermath of my father's death, I sought comfort in Veronica as she has helped me before. Long story short, I have been accepted into your friend group and I hope you'll allow me to become your friend too." Her smile is almost terrifyingly sweet and Kevin is now certain someone is messing with him.

"Who put you up to this? Where's Betty and them?" He continues to scan the cafeteria for his friends.

"I asked them to let me handle this, so it felt more sincere. Do you not believe me?"

"Don't take this the wrong way Cheryl. But you're not exactly the most sincere person."

"Noted. Maybe you'll believe them?" Cheryl looks over Kevin's shoulder, which prompts the boy to do the same. Sure enough as if appearing put of thin air, Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Jughead all come over taking their usual seats at the table, with Veronica and Archie flanking either side of Cheryl.

"Ok what's going on? Y'all become some scary cult while I was gone, where did you come from?" The exasperated look on his face causes the others to laugh.

"I promise Kev" Betty begins as she places her hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Whatever she said is the truth. She's one of us now."

Kevin squints his eyes in suspicion, looking to the others for any contradicting sign. "It's true man, Cheryl's pretty great." Archie backs them up.

This only creates not confusion for Kevin, Archie doesn't lie, (well aside from that whole secret affair with Mrs. Grundy mess, but who really wants to remember that) but this is too crazy there's no way this could be true.

"Ok Keller," veronica begins, the tone of her voice reflecting she means business. "here's the deal. Cheryl is one of us now, we're," she motions between herself and the girl beside her, "are practically attached at the hip so you'll be seeing a _LOT_ more of her, and the sooner you accept that the better."

"Can I at least ask questions?" Kevin timidly replies, no longer convinced the whole thing's a lie.

Veronica rolls her eyes, "Last Friday. Yes, she's not a cyborg. And no, it's not." She spits off the answers as if she's read his mind. When did this happen? Cheryl reached out to you for comfort? And you seriously didn't spend the week I was gone planning this whole elaborate ruse?

Kevin's mouth hangs wide open, impressed by Veronica's seemingly physic abilities. The gang laughs at the whole situation, and decide to change subject in order to move forward. A few days later, and Kevin doesn't even care anymore, he's 100% confident that Cheryl is genuine when she smiles at him, laughs at his jokes, and waves to him in the halls...

After school the girls have River Vixens practice, and oddly enough, the other girls on the squad actually like having Veronica and Cheryl as co-captains. Veronica's sincerity is the perfect counter balance to Cheryl's discipline. They work well together, and that makes practice so much more tolerable for those who used to dread getting yelled at by the redhead.

Most evenings Veronica and Cheryl meet the rest of the gang at Pop's to study, work on homework, and to simply hang out. It's always a fun time full of laughter, and of course milkshakes.

However, the evenings the two spend at home are perhaps Veronica's favorite part of their newfound routine. She loved spending time with her roomie, hulled up under a blanket watching movies, studying for chemistry together, and even just simply being in the same room as they work on homework.

They TRY to be in bed by 11pm. Something about making sure they get the full amount of beauty sleep, not that Cheryl needs it Veronica thinks. But just because they are _IN_ bed early, doesn't mean they _GO_ to be early. A lot of the time they stay up talking about anything and everything until one of them falls  
asleep, it's usually Veronica, what can she say? Girl loves to sleep. Pretty soon the alarm goes off and they begin their routine all over again.

Day after day goes by, and the further removes they are from the incident at the lake, the less stress both girls seem to carry. Veronica finally feels like she's got a handle on the whole comforting thing, something that was practically foreign to her weeks ago. It gets easier with every day, as Cheryl's temperament improves, which is something Veronica is so happy to see.

Cheryl seems like a totally new person, reborn from the icy depths of Sweetwater River. With each passing day, there's less crying and self-hatred in her heart. Not every day is perfect, but with Veronica and the others by her side, Cheryl knows she's more than ok. The amount of love and support she finds herself surrounded by is ironically, enough to drown in, and it's all she's ever craved.

For a change, things were looking up.

 **A/N: WOAH! Time jump! I know I said I wasn't going to do a time jump, but it was necessary in order to establish the next stage of this story (the best stage) so here's a fun little transition chapter featuring a flashback, to help fill in the gap. It's basically just a string of YNA universe headcanons. I know its a bit of a different format, but I hope this chapter was enjoyable nonetheless. Let me know what ya think! Thanks again for all the support!**


	23. 9th Street

It's a typical Wednesday morning, the girls getting ready for school. Cheryl's sitting at the corner vanity blow-drying her wavy curls, now that Veronica is awake and out of the room. It takes Cheryl longer to do her hair than it does for Veronica to fully get ready. No wonder she has to get up so early.

When Veronica enters the room a few minutes later, dressed and ready to go, she makes her way over to Cheryl and grabs a strand of red hair. "Have I ever told you how gorgeous your hair is?" She twirls the stand in her fingers.

Cheryl smiles up at her through the reflection of the mirror. "I was thinking," Cheryl begins, pausing a moment to apply her mascara. "Do you want to go out tonight? Dinner?" She looks up at Veronica's reflection.

"Sure, Betty mentioned meeting at Pop's yest-"

Cheryl cuts her off. "I was hoping it could just be the two of us. It's been a while since _WE'VE_ really hung out." She doesn't mean to sound cruel, she loves spending time with the others, but Veronica is her favorite and sometimes she just wants to be with her.

Veronica smiles softly, trying to suppress the blush she can feel creeping up across her cheeks. "Yea, I'd like that." She lets go of the hair she's been playing with, so Cheryl can move on to finishing today's look.

"Great," Cheryl begins as she scoops up her hair to put it in a top knotesque bun. "I'll make reservations for 7 at 9th Street."

Veronica looks at her as if confused by the venue. Cheryl notices this and explains, "Ronn, we eat at Pop's like 5 days a week. You know their _ARE_ other restaurants in town." Veronica shrugs in understanding, Cheryl makes a fair point.

As the day goes by, Veronica finds herself becoming more and more excited for this evening. It had been a long time since just the two of them hung out, doing something more than just watching movies or studying. Not that she didn't love doing those things with Cheryl, but it was exciting to get out of their room every now and then.

Their room, Veronica smiles. When had she started referring to _her_ bedroom as _THEIR_ room? Cheryl had been staying with her for over three weeks, so it's an apt description, she supposes. It's just funny to think about how much things have changed over that period of time.

After practice, Cheryl insists they go home to shower and change before heading to dinner. Something about not wanting to smell like sweat while they're eating. They had a couple hours to kill anyway so Veronica doesn't protest.

"Ronn, have you seen my favorite black leather jacket? The one you borrowed last week." Cheryl yells from the walk-in closet.

Veronica quickly scans the room looking for the article of clothing she knew she left lying around here somewhere. She may or may not have found it under the bed, Cheryl would kill her if she knew that's where she left it. "Here it is!" Veronica makes her way over to the closet, jacket in hand.

"Thank God!" Cheryl exclaims as she exits the closet.

Veronica's has drops at the sight of Cheryl's outfit. She's wearing a form fitting, knee length, red dress, that hugs Cheryl's curves, perfectly accentuating every peak and valley. It's a halter strap with a low back line. Cheryl puts on the jacket over her bare arms to complete the look. Veronica suddenly feels underdressed in her navy skirt and black lace blouse.

Cheryl smirks at Veronica's reaction. "What? It's nice to get dressed up every now and then."

"I-I have to change." Veronica stutters, still a little overwhelmed by the sight of Cheryl's hips in that dress.

"Don't be silly," Cheryl walks over to Veronica and runs her hands behind Veronica's hair before resting them on her shoulders, "you look beautiful."

The proximity makes Veronica swallow hard. The pearl bowtie choker around her neck, the one Cheryl gave her weeks ago no less, suddenly feels too tight, constricting her air ways.

Before she can say anything more, Cheryl breaks the silence, "Come on we're gonna be late." She turns to pick up her purse and takes one last look in the mirror to make sure her hair and makeup are on point.

Veronica quickly grabs her coat and clutch, and follows Cheryl out the door.

Cheryl insists on driving since Veronica has never been to the restaurant in question before. So, Veronica hands her the keys to her car before walking to the passenger side, "You know I trust you, but please be careful." Veronica's car is her most prized possession. The last gift from her parents back in a time when she wasn't at war with them. It symbolizes her freedom and ability to get away from them when needed, and she's fiercely protective of that.

Before pulling out of the drive, Cheryl reached across the console to reassuringly squeeze Veronica's hand, "I promise." She turns her attention back to the starting wheel, putting the car in reverse, "Now, let's eat." They laugh as the car begins to move.

"So what's this place like?" Veronica wonders aloud. She's never even heard of 9th Street, named for its location on the corner of 9th and Sycamore. She didn't even realize there was a 9th street in Riverdale. There's obviously a lot more to the small town than Veronica ever realized. When the only places you go are school, Pop's, and your house, it's easy to forget there's more to the area you live in.

Cheryl's eyes don't leave the road, because she's determined to take care of Veronica's car, and the precious cargo inside it. "It's a nice sit-down spot, most of the kids in town think it's an old people hang out, but that's cause _THEY_ all go to Pop's. You'll like it, it's got character."

Veronica can't help but laugh quietly to herself. Hearing Cheryl say something 'has character' seems so weird. For someone who's so high class, she never expected Cheryl would use such menial terms. In the upper crest rich socialite world they both grew up in, words like 'character' and 'charm' were more insults than they were positive descriptors.

"What?" Cheryl pleads, interrupting Veronica's internal thoughts.

"Nothing. I'm just really happy we're doing this." Veronica shrugs.

Cheryl looks at Veronica a moment before turning back to the road. "Me too." The blush on her face, undetectable in the dark, but very much there nonetheless.

The drive doesn't take long, about 10 minutes to get across town. They have to park a block away since the restaurant is located on a city street.

It's a chilly night, fall has finally made its way to Riverdale. It's Cheryl's favorite season. She loves the atmosphere, being able to wear cozy layers, and especially the color of the leaves. That last part may have something to so with the fact they perfectly compliment her fair skin and bright red hair. You think Cheryl Blossom is pretty any normal day of the year, but during the autumn months, she's _gorgeous_ , and she knows it.

They link arms as they walk down the sidewalk to keep each other warm. A couple minutes later they arrive at the door to the restaurant, Cheryl holds it open for Veronica. "My my, such nice manners." Veronica laughs, putting on her best southern belle accent. Cheryl only rolls her eyes in response, the smile on her face contradicting the action.

Cheryl once again takes the lead as they reach the hostess. "Hello, reservation for two under Blossom." The woman smiles warmly at the pair, grabs some menus and directs them to their table.

Once sitting, Veronica takes a moment to scan the room, taking in the details. It's your average restaurant set up, booths aligning the walls with table tops in the middle. There's a small bar centered between it all. The lighting is dim, creating a cozy atmosphere. They're at a booth along the back wall, furthest from the door. They are two of the handful of people in the establishment, it must be a slow night, it is a Wednesday after all.

Cheryl waves a hand in front of Veronica's face to grab her attention. "Do you want to get an entree? Or we could just order a bunch of appetizers to share."

Veronica hadn't even looked at the menu yet, but upon first glance chose the latter. She suddenly became very hungry.

"I've been wanting to take you here for a while." Cheryl quietly admits, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Oh really?" Veronica teases.

Cheryl takes a sip of the water their waitress brought them moments ago. She hums in the affirmative. "I know it's not the 5-star spots you're probably used to, but this place has always been special to me." She pauses a moment before continuing, "Jason would bring me here a lot, usually when we were celebrating something, our birthday, a big win for the football team, any of the numerous academic awards I've received." A small humble brag, which makes Veronica smile. "We'd also come here to escape our parents after a particularly bad fight. It's a great place to escape from all the wandering eyes of our peers." She shrugs her shoulders, "This place has always been my safe-haven."

Veronica can't help but smile adoringly at the redhead as she talks. They have been friends for weeks now, but that still doesn't stop the pitter patter of her heart any time Cheryl opens-up to her like this. It never gets old. "I'm honored you shared this with me." Veronica reaches to hold Cheryl's hand atop the table, "the memory and the place." She adds, feeling lucky to be able to accompany Cheryl tonight to a place that carries so much importance in her life.

The rest of the evening goes by all too fast. They ordered four different appetizers and share them all. This tactic also affords them the opportunity to bring home the extra, which they'll no doubt end up eating tomorrow. They share stories and laughs in between bites, genuinely enjoying their time together. It was nice for the two of them to spend some quality time together without the others, and getting out of the house makes for a welcome change of scenery. The hours speed by, and before they know it, it's 10pm, the restaurant closing within the hour.

Cheryl pays the check, Veronica offers to spilt, but Cheryl insisted she cover it. "You can get next time." She winks. Veronica sighs, accepting defeat.

The drive home is pretty quiet, a comfortable silence surrounding the two. The take home container feels warm against Veronica's lap, she's ready to go to bed.

Once back in the room, Veronica begins to take off her jacket making her away into the closet to find the oversized sweater she wants to sleep in. "Tonight was fun." She calls over her shoulder, "we should invite Betty next time, make it a girl's night." She rummages around a few more minutes before finding the article of clothing she knew was in here somewhere.

When she emerges from the closet, clothes changed, Cheryl is already in bed. Her bedside lamp already off, and phone put away. Veronica slides into bed next to her, "Hey, wanna watch a movie or something?" Veronica asks, she's pretty sure she'd fall asleep during it, but she's not ready for the night to end.

Cheryl, who's back is to Veronica, laying practically on the edge of the bed, doesn't bother moving, answers, "Nah, I'm too tired." Adding a mumbled excuse about being too full or something. Her voice is low and almost wavering. Veronica is a bit worried, if she didn't know any better she'd think Cheryl was upset, surly she wasn't...was she?

Veronica rolls over to turn off her bedside lamp before laying on her back staring at the ceiling. They usually end up cuddling in some form or another when they go to sleep, so for Cheryl to be so distant it's unusual. This only fuels the fear and worry in her mind that she did something to upset her friend. She lies in bed staring at the ceiling for hours, tossing and turning trying and failing to fall asleep. Cheryl had passed out hours ago, Veronica can tell by her breathing.

Veronica finds herself rolling over to stare at the back of Cheryl's head. She reaches out to play with a strand of hair, much like she did this morning, a sad smile on her face. Today had been such a wonderful day, almost perfect, up until they got home. She rejogs her memory to try to figure out what might have sent Cheryl into a fit of sadness...and that's when it hits her. She bolts upright in bed, if she was correct, everything was about to change.

It's around 4am when Veronica comes upon the realization. She tries, but doesn't have the strength to wait until morning to confirm her suspicions. " _CHERYL!_ " Veronica whispers loudly trying to wake up her bedmate. She repeats herself over and over, and when that doesn't work, she begins to gently shake her.

Cheryl stirs in her sleep, waking up enough to mutter, "what are you doing?" she tries to bat away Veronica's hand that's still lightly shaking her.

"Was that a date?" Veronica goes straight for the thing that's been keeping her up for the past hour, mulling over the odds of if that was the case. Did Cheryl actually like her, etc. She couldn't handle waiting any longer, she decided to take the chance and ask because whatever awkwardness a 'No' might cause would be more bearable than the constant nagging feeling that would no doubt torment Veronica on the daily if she didn't ask.

Cheryl, voice ragged with sleep, "What?" She rubs at her eyes to try to wake herself up more.

"Tonight. Dinner. Was that supposed to be a date?" Veronica asks slower, calmer, more concisely. She braces herself for Cheryl's answer, her heart beating rapidly, the sinking feeling in her stomach steadily growing with each passing silent second.

Cheryl slowly sits up to get on Veronica's level. She pulls her knees up to her chest, lays on them a moment, stretching out, releasing a deep breath. "I was hoping it was, but you obviously didn-" before she can finish her sentence, Veronica cuts her off by placing her lips over Cheryl's.

Cheryl is caught off guard by Veronica's bold action, that she doesn't even get a chance to kiss her back before the raven-haired girl pulls away. "I'm _such_ an ass, I'm so sorry I didn't figure it out sooner." She goes back in for another kiss, this time Cheryl is ready.

Their lips move together in sync, Veronica threads her fingers through Cheryl's hair, something she's been dreaming about doing for weeks. Cheryl places a soft hand on Veronica's cheek, pulling her in closer, increasing the pressure on their lips. They get lost in each other, for a moment, relishing in the feeling. Before they can progress any further, Cheryl pulls away this time, head resting on Veronica's forehead. Veronica's breath is ragged, a fact that makes Cheryl smile devilishly. "As much as I'd _LOVE_ to continue this." She places a quick soft kiss on Veronica's mouth. "We have school in the morning." It was 4am afterall. Cheryl pulls away fully and lays back down in her previous position, her back to Veronica, leaving the girl sitting up, mouth ajar.

The loss of contact makes Veronica frown. She's honestly a bit confused by Cheryl's nonchalant nature. She lies down facing Cheryl again, almost more confused than before. A moment passes, and Cheryl's soft laugh rings out in the silent dark room. The redhead reaches behind her to grab Veronica's arm, pulling it around her waist tightly, intertwining their fingers. Veronica smiles wide, her face flushed. She scoots in closer to the girl and places a soft kiss on the base of Cheryl's neck, before nuzzling further.

And they drift off to sleep together…


	24. Recap

Cheryl's alarm goes off a couple hours later, waking the redhead. She finds herself snuggled up close into Veronica's embrace. She must have rolled over at some point during the 2 hours she was asleep, her face now buried in Veronica's neck. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled Veronica's scent, her hair smelling like flowers.

Last night felt like a dream. She's had a crush on Veronica for a long time, since even before her incident. Cheryl has been drawn to the raven-haired girl pretty much since they met all those months ago.

When she first heard the whisperings that Veronica Lodge had come to Riverdale, she couldn't help but be curious. She knew of the Lodges, heard her parents throw around the name a few times. At first, Cheryl was merely curious as to who this girl was. Veronica's parents were powerful people, so surely, _SHE_ was too. Cheryl didn't want any competition for the top position among her Riverdale High peers. But from the sounds of it, if anyone were able to challenge her, Veronica had the potential. Cheryl worked hard to rise to the top, she wasn't about to let some newcomer dethrone her, no matter _WHO_ she, or her parents were.

Cheryl decided the best way to combat the possibility of an attack on her position of power, was to befriend the enemy, that's how the saying goes right? When she introduced herself on Veronica's first day at Riverdale, she intended to invite Veronica to join her and ditch the losers, but Cheryl was too enamored by her beauty to think straight. She knew then and there that Veronica had to potential to be much more powerful than Cheryl ever would have expected. She could have the ability to affect Cheryl's _HEART_ , and that was something that _COULD NOT_ happen.

Over the following months, Cheryl admits she wasn't exactly kind to Veronica, despite the girl's attempts to be civil with her. Cheryl was just trying to keep her distance, to guard her heart. It was easier to pretend to hate Veronica, than admitting the feelings she found, however, growing, within herself. If Veronica had the power to make her feel so great, she didn't even want to imagine how much she would be able to break her. She's had her heart broken before, and especially so following Jason's death, perhaps one more fracture would be enough to end her. She couldn't chance it.

Cheryl thought things could change when Veronica asked for a truce. She invited Veronica to spend the night at Thronhill as an olive branch, plus she really didn't want to be alone the night before her brother's funeral. The night went well, despite the awkward dinner with her parents. Even the nightmares that made Cheryl wake up crying wasn't enough to ruin the evening. Veronica instead just scooped her up in her arms and held her till she fell back asleep.

It scared Cheryl, being so vulnerable in front of someone who wasn't Jason. He's the only one she ever trusted enough to let her guards down around. He knew what their parents were like, he understood the emotional, and sometimes physical, turmoil she went through. It was weird to be this fragile in front of Veronica. However, perhaps the most terrifying fact for Cheryl was how comfortable she felt in Veronica's arms, the effect not lost on her.

Cheryl reached out to Veronica in what she thought would be her final moments because she felt like she had to thank her for showing her even the smallest amount of kindness, something no one else in her life bothered to. Veronica helped her through one of the worst nights in her life, and for that she was forever grateful. She didn't expect Veronica to show up at the river, let alone with all her friends. Hearing Veronica yell her name across the icy water was enough to break her, much like the way the ice broke from underneath her.

In that moment, the pain in her chest wasn't loneliness due to the loss of her brother, it wasn't anger at her father for murdering his son, it wasn't even the fear of her mother's hand. The pain was due to the sadness she felt about making Veronica scream in agony, hearing her voice crack because of the emotion she was feeling, seeing the tears flowing down her face. Cheryl wasn't pained for herself, but rather _FOR_ Veronica. Since when did she begin care about the raven-haired girl so much? That's when it hit her, she had fallen for Veronica.

She knew in the days following her incident, that she had to be careful. To tread lightly with Veronica, so as to not risk falling in too deep. She was so unsure of what her future would be like now that she had revealed herself to Veronica, and the others, the way she did. Would she go back to being the queen bee, as if nothing ever happened? Would they use this information against her, the way she would blackmail them for no reason other than to keep the balance of power in check? She somehow never expected, hoped maybe, but never once, not even for a second, entertained the idea of friendship with the group. Their kindness has been unbelievable.

Living with Veronica proved easier than Cheryl expected. Around their third night together, she gave up on trying to keep her distance. It was obvious Veronica wasn't going to let her leave any time soon, so she might as well enjoy the stay. She let her guards down, and no longer worried about getting too close, emotionally and physically. Whatever happens, happens, she thought.

Veronica is right, Cheryl _IS_ very much a secret cuddler. She thrives for physical affection; lingering hugs, holding hands, cuddling, soft face caresses. You name it, Cheryl enjoys it. It just so happens that Veronica is all but shy when it comes to doing those things. Cheryl would often find herself pushing the boundaries of what she could do, knowing Veronica would more than likely play along. It started with simple things, like a head on her shoulder during movie night, fidgeting with Veronica's fingers as they watch tv, and grew into bolder actions as the weeks passed by, holding hands as they walked around town, cheek kisses as they departed for class, even playing footsie under the table during their nights at Pop's with the gang. Much to Cheryl's pleasure, Veronica didn't seem to have issue with any of these acts. That's when she began to think, maybe Veronica was feeling what she was, that as great as they are as friends, it didn't feel like enough. Cheryl wanted more, and could it be possible Veronica did too?

Cheryl didn't want to make a move without being sure. So, she began to pay extra attention to the way Veronica acted, but more importantly, how she reacted to her open attempts at flirting, touching, etc. Looking for signs, blushing, anything that would confirm her suspicion. To figure this out, Cheryl had to pull the oldest trick in the book, using her body as a distinguishing tool.

One morning a few days ago, instead of getting dressed in the bathroom immediately after her shower, like she usually did, Cheryl decided to ask Veronica for help. She entered their room wearing nothing but a towel, her shoulders still glistening with little beads of water. Veronica, as usual, was still in bed, fifteen minutes left on her alarm. Cheryl made her way over to the bed, sitting down on Veronica's side, gently waking Veronica. "Hey can you help me?" Veronica's face groggy as she tried to wipe the sleep away by rubbing at her eyes. Her face upon noticing Cheryl in a towel was exactly the expression the redhead was looking for.

They've seen each other in various states of undress before, between sharing a room and the locker room at River Vixens practice. It was nothing new. However, there was something inherently more intimate about this situation, a naked towel bering Cheryl leaning over Veronica's body. Veronica's face flushed, and eyes went wide upon realizing this fact. That would have been all the evidence Cheryl needed to make up her mind about asking Veronica out, but the events that followed cemented that decision.

Cheryl handed Veronica her lacy red bra, "I can't get the hook undone, don't want to risk breaking a nail." It wasn't entirely a lie. That bra, while one of her favorites, did have a tendency to stick. And that's exactly why she chose this one to wear this morning. Veronica took the bra from Cheryl and undid the latch in seconds, handing it back with a bit of a confused expression. Of course, the one day Cheryl needs it to stick, it doesn't. She shrugs it off and gets up to put the bra on, she maneuvers her towel to her waist and pulls the straps over her arms. She doesn't bother trying to hide herself from Veronica, whose face is now beat red, and a hint of lust in her eyes.

With the bra securely on, she turned fully to face Veronica, "I'll let you in on a little secret, you see these here," she pointed to a pair of freckles just above her left breast, Veronica staring at her chest. "These are my favorite freckles."

Veronica laughed, and shook her head upon realizing she was still staring. "You rank your freckles?"

"Of course," Cheryl replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "This pair are my favorites, then this one," She pointed to the freckle on her left ring finger, "this one," pointing out the darkest spot on her stomach, "oh and then there's a rainbow shaped one on my pinky toe. I'll show you that one later." She winked. She didn't want the towel to fall off in the motion.

Veronica's face flushed once again. Cheryl wondered if the girl was aware of the constant state of blush on her cheeks. She laughed lightly before exiting the room to finish her morning routine, and to concoct a plan to ask Veronica out.

And that's what brought her to yesterday morning. Although she was confident she knew Veronica liked her, she still didn't want to risk being wrong. So in an effort to avoid heartbreak, Cheryl decided to go with a casual invitation to dinner, intended as a date, but vague enough to warrant an escape route if Veronica didn't feel the same. The proverbial ball was in Veronica's court then. And that's why when Veronica brought up bring Betty along next time, it upset Cheryl so much. Veronica didn't view their evening as a date, and that devastated Cheryl.

Cheryl didn't want to explain her sudden change in demeanor, so she opted for going to bed early, ignoring Veronica's attempts to make her feel better. She felt deflated, the high she had at dinner long gone, the crippling feeling of loneliness finding its way back into her heart. She was _SO_ sure Veronica felt the same. How could she be so wrong?

It wasn't until she felt Veronica's lips on hers hours later, the worry began to melt away. Leave it to Veronica to be oblivious to the otherwise obvious cues Cheryl sent her way all night long. She wasn't wrong, and Veronica was kissing her, and everything felt right.

The whole thing felt like a dream, if it wasn't for the warm body currently pressed tightly into her own, she just might believe it was. Cheryl had yet to leave the bed, when on a typical day she would be out of the shower by now. She instead lies here, engulfed in Veronica's embrace, relishing in the feeling of love that surrounded her. She leans forward to place a chaste kiss to Veronica's lips. The raven-haired girl stirs in her sleep. "Ronn." Cheryl whispers before placing another soft kiss, this time on Veronica's forehead, trying to wake her up.

Veronica's eyes flutter open, as she inhales deeply. "Morning beautiful." Cheryl mutters, resisting the urge to reach out and brush the hair out of Veronica's eyes.

"Last night wasn't a dream?" Veronica asks hopefully, she moves the hair herself.

Cheryl nods her head "no" as best she can with her face half buried in the pillow. The grin on her face grows as Veronica's eyes continue to stare her down.

"Good." Veronica stares before pulling Cheryl in for a proper kiss, one hand curling with red hair behind Cheryl's ear, the other searching for Cheryl's under the covers, entangling their fingers together when it does.

Cheryl pulls away first, settling against Veronica's forehead. "As much as I'd love to continue this, it's almost 7 and I haven't even begun my beauty routine."

She tries to get out of the bed, only for Veronica to pull her back, "You don't need it, you're always beautiful." Another chaste kiss, initiated by Veronica this time.

The blush on Cheryl's face causes Veronica to smile wide, so happy she can cause such a reaction from the redhead. They get caught up, lips and limbs once again entangle with one another. Once again Cheryl pulls away, this time successfully getting out of bed. "Sorry babe." Cheryl winces as she grabs her things and runs off the bathroom.

"Really?! You can't keep leaving me hanging like that?!" Veronica playfully exclaims at the redhead's retreating form. She falls back on her bed, starting at the ceiling for a moment, reflecting in the events of the last we hours. If you had told Veronica a day ago that she would be dating? Is that what they're doing? Cheryl Blossom, she'd call you crazy. She hops off the bed to begin her morning rountine, buzzing with excitement. She couldn't wait to tell Betty! 


	25. Betty

It's so hard for Veronica to keep her hands off Cheryl as they sit in the student lounge before school like they usually do. On the drive there, Cheryl and Veronica agreed to not partake in any PDA until they had the opportunity to tell their friends what's going on first. They owed them that much. It made sense, but that didn't mean it was easy. Especially when she had to resist the urge to kiss Cheryl goodbye as they parted ways to go to their respective first period classes. Instead they opted for a more subtle hug/cheek kiss combo, something they've done before so that any on lookers, including their friends, wouldn't bat an eye.

As soon as Cheryl was out of earshot, Veronica beelines it to Betty, attaching a powerful grip around the blondes arm. "Hey! Relax on the grip Ronnie."

"Sorry." Veronica apologizes, softening her grip. "I have some built up tension.." she trails off, probably not the best choice of words, but it's not like Betty understands the double entendre.

Betty looks at Veronica quizzically. She can sense a story is coming. "Spill."

Veronica tilts her head, Betty always seems to know what's up before she gets the chance to begin. "Well, remember that conversation we had about my situation with Cheryl."

"Which one?" She rolls her eyes. "We literally talk about it every day." Betty laughs. For someone who didn't want to talk about her problems, aka her unrequited crush on her current bedmate, Veronica sure did talk about it a _LOT_. She understands though, she was the same way with Kevin when she had a crush on Archie, although he more so drug the information out of Betty, whereas Veronica lets it all out of her own accord.

"Whatever," Veronica brushes off the comment, too excited to be offended. "Anyways, there may have been an update to that situation..." she dangles the sentence, leaving Betty desperate for more info. She releases Betty's arm and strides a few steps ahead of her friend, teasing her.

Betty skips down the hall to catch up, "What kind of update?" her voice is cautious, but full of hope.

Veronica stops and slowly turns around to look at Betty, the grin on her face saying it all. Betty doesn't need the verbal confirmation, but gets it anyway when an excited Veronica pulls betty in close, whispering, "We kissed!"

Her giddiness is infectious, "About time!" Betty excitedly exclaims, so happy for her best friend. They share a celebratory hug. Betty knows better than anyone how long this will-they won't-they business went on, and it's finally over. Betty feels like she can let out a sigh of relief, no longer feeling secondhand nervousness for Veronica. "Give me the details!" Betty practically begs as she pulls out of the embrace. She's had enough of Veronica beating around the bush, she needed to know everything!

"Last night we went to dinner right," Veronica begins, and Betty nods. Veronica told her about this yesterday when she declined her offer to meet at Pop's, she knew they were going out, she didn't realize they were actually _GOING_ out. "Turns out it was a date." They continue to walk down the hall towards their lockers.

"What do you mean 'turns out' it was a date? Did you not know?" Betty asks her to clarify, laughing at the thought of a clueless Veronica going out with a no doubt ostentatious Cheryl. She could only imagine the sight, Cheryl practically throwing herself at Veronica, and the latter girl being oblivious.

They stop by Veronica's locker first, so she can grab her books for English. "It may have taken me _SOME_ time to figure it out." She shuts her locker before continuing, too embarrassed to admit the exact details. "Nevertheless, it was a date." They walk toward Betty's locker next, which is only a few doors down the hall.

"So you're girlfriends now." The smile on Betty's face is so genuine, if Veronica didn't know her so well she might have been skeptical. Betty does have the tendency to come off as the old fashioned good girl, someone who doesn't know her personally might think she'd have a problem with a same sex relationship. "That's so exciting!" Betty opens her locker, the door blocking her view of Veronica's face. She rummages around for her things as Veronica continues.

"Well we haven't exactly talked about what we are, but I think it's safe to assume..."

Betty peers around her locker door to look at Veronica questioningly. "You haven't talked about it?" Her stare is reminiscent of a look a mother would give their child when reprimanding them for doing something irresponsible.

Veronica leans back against the lockers behind her, examining her nail beds. "We may have been too busy doing _OTHER_ things." She shrugs nonchalantly. This time Betty's face whips around the locker door, looking exasperated. Veronica holds her hands up in defense. "Just making out, geez B, get your mind out of the gutter." She starts laughing, Betty has never been very good about discussing more intimate topics, not that there's anything wrong with that, she just preferred having a privacy boundary. There were some mental images she did _NOT_ need to see, ever.

"Just promise when that does happen," she raises her eyebrow, insinuating that she knows it'll happen, and probably soon. "keep the details to a minimum."

Veronica's face flushes at the thought, "Oh of course. Cheryl would probably kill me for even trying to talk about it."

Betty nods in response, believing there's truth to that statement. "You're gonna talk to her about your label though right? Like you said it's _PROBABLY_ safe to assume, but you should make sure you're on the Same page, for both of your sakes."

Veronica agrees. That's a conversation they should have had this morning, but kissing is so much more fun, Veronica thinks. "I'm gonna suggest we skip Pop's tonight to do just that. You'll cover for me?" It's not like Veronica to skip Pop's night twice in a row. She doesn't want the guys to become suspicious. She doesn't need them asking questions she's not ready to answer, or them thinking Cheryl's having some sort of relapse.

"Of course." Betty assures, she shuts her locker and they once again make their way down the hall towards the classroom. "So where'd you guys go on your date?"

"We went to dinner at this cafe on 9th."

"9th Street." Betty chimes in, knowing exactly the place she was talking about. Her parents used to take her and Polly there for breakfast on their birthdays and random holidays. A tradition they've don't a poor job sticking to in the past few years.

"That's the one." Veronica says as they enter the classroom. "She and Jason used to go there a lot," she sits down at her desk, "she wanted to share it with me now."

Betty awwws at the sweet sentiment, hand over her heart. She didn't realize Cheryl had the capacity for sentimental gestures. For a moment she felt like this was perhaps information the redhead wouldn't be too keen on her knowing. There was obviously a softer side to Cheryl that she hid from everyone else. They may be friends now, but she still had a reputation to keep up, and nauseating sweetness did not fit that profile. She decides to drop with the questions, as to allow Cheryl some privacy. "I can't express how happy I am for you guys."

"Thanks B." Veronica leans over her desk to get closer to her friend, talking quietly. "Do us a favor and don't mention this to the boys. We'd like to tell them ourselves, and like you've pointed out we still have stuff to figure out as it is."

Betty mimics Veronica's position to keep their conversation private. "No problem, I swear I won't tell them, not even Jug, I'm sure Cheryl would want to be the one to tell him anyway."

It was weird how close Cheryl and Jughead had become over the past few weeks. They have calculus together, which sparked their weekly study sessions, which then grew into them just hanging out. Betty _MAY_ have been a bit jealous at first, but that was squashed quickly when Jug invited her to join them one day. Needless to say, she was bored out of her mind during the study portion, and then completely lost during their pop culture discussion.

Veronica laughed, "You're probably right. It's still so weird to me that they are like besties."

"Oh god, don't use that word." Betty joins the laughter, the word is such a ridiculous match for the pair. When their laughter dies down, Betty chimes in with an important question, "So how are you gonna go about telling Archie?"

Veronica huffs as she slumps back in her desk chair. Telling her ex-boyfriend, who she never officially broke up with, that's she's now dating the girl who caused her to initiate their split in the first place, was _NOT_ something Veronica was looking forward to. She lets out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose in helpless frustration. "No idea."

"Arch Just wants you to be happy. He might be bummed at first, but he'll get over it." Betty reassures. Archie's a good guy, he'd never purposly get in the way of his friends happiness, especially not for selfish reasons.

Veronica knows this. "You're probably right, but that doesn't make it any easier." She falls forward, propping her head up on her desk.

"You gonna tell him together? Cheryl will be there for support. You won't be alone." Betty asks, trying to comfort her friend.

Veronica takes a deep breath, "No, I think it's best just I do it. I owe it to him." She sits up straight in her desk.

"Don't stress, it'll be ok." Betty places a comforting hand on Veronica's arm.

Veronica melts at the touch, once again slumping in her seat, this time laying her head directly on the desk. She suddenly feels so down, the dreading the situation.

"Hey," Betty cooos. "You were so happy like 5 minutes ago. Focus on that, focus on Cheryl."

The mention of Cheryl's name causes Veronica to smile. She tucks her arms up under her head to get more comfortable, as if she was actually in bed as opposed to in class, which was just about to start. Just thinking about the redhead made Veronica feel so much better. She has to resist the urge to send her an "I miss you" text. They've only been apart for 10 minutes max. She didn't want to start this relationship coming off as overly clingy, afraid to scare her away.

That notion however didn't seem to bother Cheryl, cause Veronica's phone buzzes I'm her pocket a moment later, a message from Cheryl on the screen that says "3rd period is too far away :( I miss your face"

Veronica's face flushes and the dumb smile on her face grows with every re-read of the message. She manages to take a silly selfie without the teacher noticing, the lecture now in full swing, and sends it to Cheryl with the caption, "This face? ;) ps miss you too"

Her phone buzzes again soon after, the screen lighting up with a heart and kissy face emoji. She thought the first day back at school following the lake incident, was hard. Being apart from Cheryl now was already proving to be a million times harder. 


	26. Girlfriends?

Cheryl sat in her second period class, counting down the minutes until the bell rings. She's been riding on a high since this morning, but this was the lowest she's felt all day. Being away from Veronica was proving to be harder than expected. She knows it's just due to the fact they're in the 'honeymoon phase' of this newfound relationship. Eventually it'll die down and being away from each other won't feel like the end of the world.

The texting helped, but it didn't amount to the real thing. They saw each other for a couple minutes in between classes. Once again having to downplay their physical affection. It was so hard to keep herself from pulling Veronica in close and never letting go. It's so crazy how once that line has been crossed, it's impossible to go back.

Only 10 more minutes and they'd be reunited, this time for a full hour. God knows they're not gonna pay attention to the lesson, it's not like they did a good job doing so before. Cheryl smiles at the thought of them passing notes, trying to hide the fact that they're staring at the other, purposely bumping into each other just so they could have some sort of contact. Cheryl never imagined she'd have someone to do all the cutesy cliché romance stuff with, especially not Veronica of all people.

She always hated those couples, the ones who are nauseatingly upfront with the PDA. However now, with Veronica, Cheryl _WANTS_ to be that couple. She wants to show her off and treat her like a princess. She wants people to look at them in envy, because she knows how incredibly lucky she is, and she wants others to know it as well. She landed a beautiful, smart, incredibly kind person. Someone who Cheryl felt she didn't deserve. So, she wants to dedicate her energy into being the person Veronica deserves.

Her phone buzzes for the first time in minutes, Veronica must have been paying attention into the lesson like a good student should. Cheryl thinks she should probably follow suit. She opens the message to reveal another picture, this time an old one they had taken a couple weeks ago. The picture depicted a scrunched faced Veronica who had a large grin on her face, and Cheryl who was kissing Veronica's cheek. The caption Veronica sent along with the picture read: "I set this as my phone background, NGL I can't stop staring at it ;)"

Cheryl blushes, the smile on her face growing wide. That was one of her favorite photos of them. She remembers that day fondly. It was one of the first times they took pictures together. They had those photos from their impromptu fashion show a few days prior, but this time they were just relaxing, watching movies like they normally do, a pastime that's become a regular occurrence in their room.

This time it was more relaxed, more natural. Veronica started it. She was screwing around on her phone instead of paying attention to the movie, which _SHE_ had picked out by the way. Cheryl kept berating her to put the phone down. Veronica decided to fight back by snapping an embarrassing photo of Cheryl, which prompted the redhead to try to steal the phone from Veronica. Veronica just kept taking pictures until Cheryl gave in and started posing for them. They ended up laying down and taking pictures together, laughing and being silly, the movie long forgotten background noise at this point.

She had to work up the nerve to create that picture Veronica sent. The debate in Cheryl's head almost drove her mad. She got a sudden burst of bravery and decided to just go for it, they were goofing off, she could play it off if needed. Veronica squeezed her face into the cutest expression in response, and thus Cheryl's favorite picture was created.

Cheryl smiles at the memory before typing her reply, "No wonder it took you so long to respond. And here I thought you were being a good student ;p"

Her phone goes off almost immediately: "What can I say, your face isn't too bad to look at lol"

Cheryl rolls her eyes, Veronica's jokes could be so cheesy sometimes, but she loves them anyway, and the compliment does make her blush. Five more minutes before class ends. She sends Veronica a message to meet at her locker, so they can walk to chemistry together, to which Veronica replies  
With a heart emoji.

When the bell finally rings Cheryl practically runs to her locker. She definitely turned a few heads on her power walk down the hall, the peasants parting for her as if afraid to be in her way. Something she couldn't be bothered to pay attention to at the moment. All she cared about was getting to her locker as fast as possible.

Her smile falters for a second when she arrives at her locker before Veronica. She was hoping to be greeted by the raven-haired girl. Cheryl goes ahead and opens her locker door to gather her things for class.

"Hiiii" the voice comes from the other side of her locker door, she shuts it to reveal a smiling Veronica leaning against the wall. Her tone of voice matching her love drunk expression from this morning. Cheryl grins in response, so happy to see Veronica again.

Veronica links her arm with Cheryl's and she begins to drag her down the hall towards her locker. "So I know now's probably not the greatest time since we have class and all, but I was hoping we could talk about this-" she gestures between them, insinuating she wants to talk about _THEM_. She lets go of Cheryl's arm to open her locker.

"What's there to talk about?" Cheryl asks, her voice a tad wobbly with nervousness. Surely Veronica wasn't rethinking this relationship already.

Veronica senses the worry in Cheryl's voice and places a comforting hand on her arm. "I just want to make sure we're on the same page..." She hesitates for a moment, bracing herself for what she's about to admit, "I really _REALLY_ like you Cheryl. I just want to make sure you feel the same?" It comes off more like a question than a statement, _her_ nerves showing now.

Cheryl wants nothing more than to pull Veronica in for the most passionate kiss she could muster, one that would express all the things she's feeling, much better than she could put into words. If it wasn't for the fact that they owe it to their friends to disclose this information before the general Riverdale public begin their gossip, she would have done just that.

She settles for the only thing she can do at the moment. "Ronn," she grabs one of Veronica's hands, "I've liked you for _SO_ long. I'm just glad you finally got on _MY_ page." She laughs, feeling like her response wasn't articulate enough or too dumb. She's never been good at expressing her feelings, but Veronica has helped her with that.

Veronica doesn't say anything, which worries Cheryl a bit, even though she just told her she liked her. Cheryl couldn't help but go there, it's something she's so used to, panic has become her default. Instead, the raven-haired girl pulls Cheryl, by their still conjoined hands into the nearest bathroom. She pushes Cheryl into an empty stall, following and locking the door behind her. Before Cheryl can ask what's happening, Veronica places her lips on the corner of Cheryl's mouth, she pulls away before looking at the redhead. Her eyes ask for permission to continue, and Cheryl more than eagerly allows. Who said consent couldn't be sexy?

She pulls Veronica in close to kiss her the way she wanted to in the hall. She pours all of her thoughts and emotions into the kiss, desperate for Veronica to understand. Veronica seems to get the idea as she threads her fingers through red hair, pushing forward to get as close to Cheryl as possible. All the pent up tension they both had melting away with each passing second.

Who knows where they would have ended up, had the warning bell not interrupted them. Cheryl pulls away groaning in frustration. Veronica laughs at this and places a quick kiss to her lips before reaching up to wipe the smudged red lipstick off Cheryl's face, "you might want to invest in some smudge proof lipstain babe."

They help fix each other's hair and makeup before exiting the stall, to a luckily empty bathroom. Cheryl begins to open the door to go to class before feeling Veronica pulling her back by the wrist. "Wait, one more thing." She steps up to Cheryl, hand in hers, "will you be my girlfriend?" Her voice timid.

Cheryl smiles brightly. She steps forward to place a soft lingering kiss on Veronica's lips. "Nothing would make me happier."

And with that the girls exit the bathroom and make their way down the hall to their third period class, knowing full well they wouldn't be paying any attention to the lesson, but rather to each other.


	27. Confession

"So I'm assuming you told Betty." Cheryl asks Veronica, referring to their kiss last nignt, as they enter the chemistry classroom.

Veronica is silent, but Cheryl knows better. The redhead gives her a pointed look, silently doubting her. "Ok, yes I did." Veronica surrenders. "I was so excited, I couldn't help it." Her voice dripping with restlessness.

"Hey," Cheryl places a hand on Veronica's thigh under their lab table, which luckily covers the evidence from any angle. "I get it. I'm not mad. One down, three to go." It takes a second for Veronica to figure out who the three Cheryl's referring to are, Archie, Jughead, and...Kevin! Of course, she always forgets about him. For someone who Betty considers a best friend, has not atound much other than lunch, and the occasional hang in the student lounge. But Cheryl's right, even though they don't spend near as much time together as they do with the 'core four', Kevin would be livid of he found out Riverdale High's juciest new gossip from anywhere other than the source.

"I'll talk to Jug. I'm sure he's been dying to give me the 'about damn time' speech." Cheryl jokes.

"Wait why would he do that? Oh my god, have you been talking to him about me?" Veronica is slightly mortified, gaining more insight to the strange friendship Cheryl and Jughead have. She knew they were close, but for some reason she didn't expect them to have actual deep, personal conversations. If she was completely honest with herself, Veronica would admit to being a little jealous. SHE wants to be the one Cheryl comes to for things.

Sensing the uncomfortable struggle, Veronica was no doubt processing internally, Cheryl gently squeezes Veronica's thigh, and breaks Veronic from her thoughts with some reassuring words. "I needed someone to help me process my feelings, just like you did with Betty. I obviously couldn't lean on Archie, and Jughead saw right through me. I didn't have much of a choice." Her light laugh rings in Veronica's ears. It's more than enough to calm any worries she previously had regarding their friendship.

"Well, I should tell Archie myself. So not looking forward to that one." Veronica huffs, once again the dread slowly sinking into the lit of her stomach.

Cheryl leans over to whisper in Veronica's ear, class had officially started and their teacher had begun droning on about today's lab. "If it makes you feel any better, we can tell Kevin together! Can you imagine his face? I'm already laughing."

Cheryl was right, Veronica thought, after all the constant reassuring they had to do to get him to believe Cheryl was their friend now, she couldn't imagine how hard it would be for him to wrap his mind around the news that they are dating. The comical thought did cheer her up a bit, as she was able to ignore Archie for a moment.

They don't get much more time to talk as class goes on, due to today's heavy workload. The lab they are assigned is a 3 part lab that will span over the rest of the week. It's imperative that they not only reach the specific step by the end of the period, but that they do it correctly, so they actually have something to do the next two chemistry hours.

While this annoyed Veronica, it did offer her the time to think about how she planned to tell Archie she's seeing someone new. For a relationship that didn't last more than a week, she felt guilty about how everything ended. Archie was a good guy, and a great friend, there's no doubt he would have been a suitable boyfriend, but there was something about they way they got together that made Veronica question the validity of their relationship.

Their first 'romantic' encounter was accidental. Cheryl forced them into that stupid closet after homecoming. Veronica only did it to protect Betty, which now that she looks back at it, kissing the guy your best friend is in love with to prevent the girl who doesn't have any real interest in the guy, from doing it, doesn't really seem like the most solid plan. Regardless, did she really WANT to kiss Archie that night? Or was it just the pressure of the situation?

Then, the event that actually brings them together was a drunken one night stand, intended to be just that, ONE night. However, she let it become something neither of them were really looking for. The night they got together, both Archie and Veronica were vulnerable and lonely, needing to find some way to vent and decompress, distract themselves from reality, if only for a moment. It just so happened that they were both in the same state at the same time. Why not give in to some irresponsible fun? Sounds like a good enough distraction for the night.

Extending that connection into anything further was a mistake. Veronica liked Archie, but never in that specific way. She was kidding herself, and deep down she knew it all along, but there is something nice about knowing you have someone to count on. But that sense of security comes at what cost?

It's not like she regrets being with Archie, but rather WHY they were together. Their relationship was the product of a poor circumstance, both of them angry at their respective problems. The foundation of their relationship was built on mutual dissatisfaction with their lives, rather than an actual attraction for one another.

Veronica doesn't understand why she is so concerned about Archie's reaction to her dating Cheryl. She just doesn't want it to be awkward. They decided to 'put a pause' on things back when things with Cheryl were complicated at best. She assumes that had things with Cheryl not gone the way they did, she would have gone back to him. And maybe that's why she's so worried. She feel a guilty for moving on when they weren't exactly in a position to do so? It's not like they made a set of rules or anything, but it was kind of a mutual understanding that they weren't breaking up per se, just taking some time to get their shit together.

She almost forgot they were still in class. It's Cheryl's concerned voice that reminds her of that fact. "Ronn, you ok? You kinda spaced there for a minute."

"Yea, just worried about telling Archie." Veronica hums in response, no sense in lying about it.

"Do you want to tell him together?" Cheryl asks, wanting to help calm Veronica, and if that meant helping her break the news to her ex, then so be it.

Veronica sighs, "No I can handle it, I just don't like disappointing people."

"Archie will be fine, have you seen his abs?" Cheryl jokes, "he'll bounce back in not time."

Veronica can't help but feel a tad bit uncomfortable at that comment. She knows Cheryl's trying to make light of the situation, but it is weird. Of course she's seen his abs, she's seen a lot more than that, and she's not sure how she feels about that fact. Before she can think about it she blurts out, "I slept with Archie!" It's loud enough to draw the attention of the closest students around them, a handful of people stare in confusion, a few more whispering like they hit the gossip jackpot.

Cheryl is wide-eyed and silent. She can't for the life of her understand why Veronica would say that, out loud, during class.

Veronica's face flushes in embarrassment upon realizing what she just said. She looks around the room, the majority of people already moved on, their attention focused on the lab. She felt like a complete idiot in that moment. She excuses herself to the restroom before hurriedly sneaking out the door.

Cheryl doesn't even bother asking the teacher for permission to leave. She rushes out the door to follow her girlfriend. She finds her in the restroom, leaning over the sink huffing quietly, she's not sure if Veronica is crying, but is relieved to learn she's not when she looks up at her in the mirror. Cheryl inches her way closer to Veronica, slowly, not wanting to ambush her.

"I'm sorry. That was crazy." Veronica breaks the silence.

"Forgive me if I don't understand why." Cheryl trails off, not knowing where to begin, she hasn't seen this side of Veronica before. The scared, vulnerable side. She wants to be there for Veronica, the way she's always there for her, but because this is uncharted waters for her, she's not sure where to begin.

She cautiously makes her way over to the sinks, leaning back against them so to look Veronica in the eyes. "Tall to me." She pleads softly, a hand trailing down her arm.

"I don't know what came over me, I just thought you should know." Veronica's voice is weak, a strange contrast to the usual strong yet subtle confidence usually evident in her tone.

"Ok, I appreciate that." Cheryl's voice is slow and calm. She doesnt want to interject her own feelings into this conversation, it was Veronicas time to share. "Is that why you're so worried to tell him?"

Veronica looks up, "What would that have to do with it?"

"I don't know," Cheryl shrugs her shoulders. "I'm reaching here."

Veronica let's out a deep breath before admitting. "I guess I just feel guilty."

Cheryl prods, "About?"

"Us." She looks up at Cheryl for a moment, before turning her attention back to the dripping faucet in front of her. She grips at the counter top, "I never truly broke up with him you know. He's probably under the impression that we're still on a break and that any day now Ill come running." The following thought dawns on her after hearing it aloud. "Oh god, this is like the Ross and Rachel dilemma." She buries her head in her hands.

Cheryl takes another cautious step closer to Veronica, she braces herself for the answer to the question she's about to ask. "So. You feel like you cheated on him?"

Veronica is silent for a moment, she slowly looks up to meet Cheryl's eyes, her voice is quiet. "Kinda."

It's exactly the answer Cheryl was afraid of. She didn't know how to respond. She stays silent and unmoving, waiting for Veronica to figure out whatever it is she needs to work through.

"It that crazy?" Her eyes are pleading, she needs Cheryl to talk to her. She can't handle the silence. She places a hand around Cheryl's entwining their fingers together. 

Cheryl pulls Veronica in for a tight hug. She can tell Veronica has started crying, the way her fingers dig into her flesh, the muffled sound of whimpers stifled by her neck. She's still not sure what to say so she just holds her close, pressing soft kisses to her head. They stand there like that for a while. Neither girl daring to let go, even when a random student walks in to use the facilities, did they part. The girl promptly left upon seeing their position, opting to use the restroom down the hall rather than interrupting whatever was going on.

When Cheryl can tell Veronica is no longer crying, she pulls back far enough to wipe at Veronica's face. She wipes away the tears, fixes her smudged makeup, tucks her hair behind her ear. She's silent the whole time, Veronica examining her face for some sort of emotion, not finding anything telling. Cheryl leans in again, this time to place a gentle kiss to Veronica's temple. "It's not crazy." She's so soft and gentle with Veronica. It's enough for Veronica to get emotional all over again, she tries to hold back the new wave of tears.

Cheryl once again speaks up, "We can do whatever you need, nothing changes how I feel about you." Her hand softly cupping Veronica's cheek, thumb grazing her cheekbone. The look Cheryl is giving Veronica is full of so much love and understanding. It's enough to melt away all of Veronica's worry, she might not be entirely comfortable about how everything has come about, but looking into Cheryl's eyes, and feeling her arms wrapped tightly around her, she knows she's in the right place.


	28. Confession Pt 2

"Hey, about earlier," Veronica begins as they leave class on their way to their respective fourth period classes. After their moment in the bathroom, they went back to class to work on their lab. They were both pretty quiet, focusing on the task at hand, only talking to communicate about the steps of the lab. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but Veronica couldn't help but feel a small sense of insecurity.

She spent the rest of class stewing over her admission. What came over her? Did she really believe she cheated on Archie? She had been so blinded by her feelings for Cheryl, that Veronica couldn't bother thinking about how that might affect the others.

The old Veronica wouldn't have batted an eye at a situation like this. She'd be on to the next guy like the old one never happened. She figures this is a good piece of character development. But she can't help but bitterly laugh at its timing. Is it her brain's way of self-sabotage?

Veronica is crazy about Cheryl, she knows that much. But could she subconsciously be trying to ruin their relationship before it has a chance to blossom, yes, pun very much intended. Why was she pushing her away? She's been dreaming about this for weeks now. What was she so afraid of?

"I want you to know I wasn't trying to hurt you, or make you jealous." Veronica continues as they enter the hallway full of busy students.

"I know." Cheryl doesn't miss a beat.

Veronica stops in her tracks and takes hold of Cheryl's arm. "How are you being so cool about all this?"

"I get it. You left things with Archie hanging because your life got complicated." She gestures to herself, indicating that she was the complication. "The least I can do is be patient and understanding, while you work through your emotions." She's calm, cool, and collected, the complete opposite of how Veronica imagined a jealous Cheryl Blossom would react. Maybe she's not jealous, she ponders.

"Hey, you're _NOT_ a complication." Veronica stresses, holding Cheryl's hand. Her voice is soft and pleading. She doesn't want Cheryl to think, even for a second, that she has somehow 'ruined' her life. She's done quite the opposite in fact. These opposing parallels keep messing with Veronica's head.

Cheryl takes a step closer, closing the gap between their bodies, no longer caring about the onlookers. "I know," she nods in the affirmative. "Look," she tucks a strand of black hair behind Veronica's ear, "we can talk about this later if you really want to, but right now, I want you to know that I'm not going away that easy. You can push me away all you want," she leans in to whisper in her ear, "but I'm here to stay." She places a kiss atop her high cheek bone. And with that she was gone, taking off down the hall for her next class. Leaving a stunned Veronica behind.

To say Cheryl wasn't worried in the least bit would be a lie. Sure she played everything off as cool and confident, but that doesn't mean there's not more than she's letting on. She does understand where Veronica is coming from. She would probably feel the same way in her position. But there's always gonna be that small part of her that reminds her of all the loss she's felt with in her life. Falling from her parent's grace, losing her beloved brother Jason, her father. It feels like every relationship in her life ends in loss, she doesn't want Veronica to be the same.

Cheryl does her best to remind herself of that she just has to be patient. Veronica has already stated, numerous times, she wants to be with her. And once telling Archie is out of the way, they can truly be together without any hesitations.

Veronica doesn't show up to lunch. And at first this worries the redhead, that is until she notices the other resident redhead, Archie, is also missing. Cheryl is surprised Veronica seems to have already started her talk with the boy. She thought she'd have to take another day or so to plan it out. She must have gone for the 'rip the bandaid off' technique.

Since Kevin had opted to sit with Moose at lunch today, that just left Betty and Jughead at the table with her. She supposes now is as good time as any to let Jug in on the news. "So Jug," the beanie wearing boy looks up at Cheryl, chomping away at his sandwich. "You can finally break out the 'I told you so' speech you've been dying to give me."

He seems interested, swallowing his food and placing his sandwich bearing hand down, away from his face. His brow knits in concentration, thinking a moment before a grin takes over his features. "Which one?" He questions teasingly.

Both Cheryl and Betty laugh. Betty already being privy to the information Cheryl's about to tell, is curious to see how this goes down. It's like an inside look at the mysterious friendship that everyone seems to acknowledge yet ignore at the same time.

"About Veronica." Cheryl further clarifies.

His grin grows even larger as he teases, "Again, which one?" Alluding to the fact that he's got multiple Veronica related theories.

"You know exactly which one I'm talking about, Jug." Cheryl says in a huff. Sometimes his playing can become annoying.

He throws his hands up in mock surrender. "I know, I just want to hear you say it first." He continues to eat.

Cheryl gets shy in that moment, nothing but a telling blush across her face releasing any information.

"Come on, for someone who would never shut up about Veronica, you sure are quiet now." Jughead pokes. He's not lying. Cheryl had a bad case of word vomit when it came to talking about Veronica and how she felt. Since Jughead was the only one who would listen, she had a tendency to go overboard. Jug quickly learned it was easier to just go along with the conversation, let Cheryl say her piece, than to try to avoid it. Plus, he may have been secretly rooting for the pair to couple up all along.

He remembers the first time Cheryl brought up the topic one day weeks ago. She played it cool by nonchalantly asking if he knew if Archie and Veronica were still a thing. Seeing as he was Archie's best friend, surely he'd have the right Intel Cheryl thought. Cheryl's deep interest in the topic made Jughead suspicious, question after question, searching for details, he figured that could only mean one of two things: Cheryl liked Archie and wanted to make a move, or Cheryl liked Veronica, and needed to know if that was a possibility. Considering Cheryl and Archie had their past thing, if you can even call it that, he figured it had to be the latter.

In the days following that initial conversation, Jughead would watch Cheryl and Veronica's interactions closely. It would take a blind man to miss all the social clues they were giving off. He's a little embarrassed he didn't see it before.

He ambushed her the next day. "You like Veronica." He was met with a denying response, Cheryl clearly lying through her teeth. And that's when he made the mistake, or at least he thought it was in the beginning. He placed a hand on Cheryl's shoulder, looked her in the eyes and said, "I've been in that position. If you ever need an ear, I'm here." It was a sweet moment that was uncommon from their usual witty and playful banter. It was reassuring for Cheryl to know that Jughead really was a true friend. And thus the floodgates were open and Jughead would never hear the end of the will they won't they saga of Veronica and Cheryl.

"Veronica and I are officially dating." Betty happily claps, stopping when Cheryl gives her the look to chill out a sec, she's not done. "I assume she's out breaking the news to Archie since they're both MIA. Once we tell Kevin, we will go public. We felt you should hear it from us, rather than the slimy bottom feeders in this school."

"Congrats!" Jughead let's out surprisingly enthusiastically.

Cheryl is a little taken aback by his lack of rubbing it in. He always told her, 'dude, she is obviously crazy about you. Pay attention.' She would always blush wildly at these statements, and brush them off like he was talking crazy. Turns out he was tight the whole time. "What no 'see the signs were there' or 'told ya' gloating?"

Jughead leans back in earnest, "I mean," he releases a gush of air psshhhhtt, "I did tell you so. But honestly, I'm just happy you got your girl."

Cheryl smiles wholeheartedly. It's another one of those sweet moments that feels foreign to their relationship but is reaffirming nonetheless.

Before she has the chance to reply, with probably something quick tonged to kill the sappy mood, Betty does just that. "We should double!" She squeals excitedly as she side  
hugs Jughead.

He and Cheryl lock eyes, both seemingly on the same page of 'oh dear.' They knew the prospect of the pairs double dating would happen, but now that the idea was real it was all too much. They both reply with poor attempts at feigning enthusiasm, to which Betty rolls her eyes. It's going to happen, whether they like it or not, she thinks.

Now that that's out of the way, Cheryl just eagerly awaits for Veronica and Archie to make their appearance. Lunch was about halfway over already, surely they will show up before the bell rings...


	29. Archie

When the bell rings at the end of fourth period, signaling the start of the lunch hour, Veronica goes to look for Archie. She wasn't planning on telling him so soon, but she figures she might as well get it over with, no sense in delaying the inevitable. Plus, there's no way she could handle sitting through an awkward lunch period where half the table knows what's up with the other half completely oblivious. She wanted, the next time they are all together, for everyone to be on the same page, no cryptic language, no secrets or lying. Hopefully, if everything works out, nothing would change, their dynamic would be unaffected by their new relationship status, much like the way it was when Betty and Jughead got together.

She finds Archie in the grill line in the cafeteria. He waves when he sees her walking over, "Hey Ronnie." His smile is wide and genuine, which only makes Veronica's nerves worse.

"Hey Arch, I was hoping we could eat together today, just the two of us." Her voice is wavering, lacking her usual confidence. It's noticeable enough to cause Archie concern.

"Sure thing, is everything alright?" He places a comforting hand on her shoulder momentarily before taking a couple steps forward to keep up with the moving line.

"Never better," Veronica affirms, despite the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

They meet up in the student lounge, sitting at a small table in the back corner. There's a few other students milling about. Most kids eat outside or in the cafeteria, but there's always a handful of people who prefer the more secluded area. Aside from the occasional check in from whichever teacher had the unfortunate lunch monitor duty, it was a pretty calm place to spend the hour.

"So, what's on your mind?" Archie beings, breaking the silence that had been surrounding them since they sat down a couple minutes prior.

Veronica inhales deeply, bracing herself, "I wanted to talk about us."

Archie puts his burger down and gives Veronica his full attention. She can't tell by the look on his face what he's thinking, and it's driving her crazy.

"So," Veronica begins, voice already becoming unsteady. She takes a moment to calm her breathing before continuing. "When we decided to put a pause on us..." trailing off, Veronica pauses to figure out her working carefully. "We never really established what exactly that meant, any rules." She uses her hands for emphasis, but also because she's too nervous to keep still.

Archie just stares at Veronica, listening intently and waiting for her point. He nods his head slightly, silently encouraging her to continue.

"Well, I may have broken one of those rules." It's a vague admission, but Veronica wanted to test the waters before coming out and saying she's moved on. Breakups can be very delicate things, especially if you want to keep the friendship intact. She waits for a response.

"I uh, I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at Ronnie." His confusion would have been endearing a few weeks ago. Finding the boy's ignorance charming. However, now she's just annoyed by his lack of understanding in the art of nuance.

"Ok. Umm." She's looking for another way to beat around the bush a bit, to ease him into the real reason she called him here. Veronica leans forward over the table a bit, keeping her voice down low. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I found someone else who I want to pursue a relationship with, and since we didn't exactly end things, I just felt obligated to tell you." She squirms in her seat a bit, searching for a more comfortable position, however her discomfort was more psychological than physical in nature.

Archie leans back on his chair, it's the first time he's moved since Veronica began her speech. His face isn't exactly angry, but it's fallen from his happy smile he had at the beginning of lunch. It's somewhere between confusion and sadness. His brow knit, mouth tight lipped, he pushes back his hair with his good hand, his cast no longer there, instead replaced with a light protective brace. After a moment of contemplation, which feels like an eternity to Veronica, he finally speaks, "oh uh, well that's, that's cool." He's trying to play it off like it's no big deal, but the stammering contradicts his message. "I mean," he continues, "I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of a bummer, but I'm not going to force you into a relationship you don't want to be in."

Veronica is the tiniest bit relieved by this statement, and she leans across the table again to place a comforting hand over his braced one. "It just happened Archie, it's not like I was looking for it."

"No, yea I get it. You can't help what the heart wants right?" His signature smile shows through at the end, for a moment. Veronica can tell he's trying to lighten the mood. "So. This guy likes you too?" He can't help but ask, he's curious.

"Yes, but not exactly." Veronica confirms, to Archie's confusion. She further clarifies, " _she_ does." It's a quiet admission, Veronica nervous to see Archie's reaction.

He doesn't say anything besides muttering an equally quiet "oh"

Veronica has self-identified as bisexual for years now, but she's never really had to 'come out' to anyone. The kids Veronica once called friends didn't care about labels or sexuality. It's all fluid, and the New York scene she was part of thrived off that fact. Her parents caught her fooling around with a girl once, but they just gave her the usual speech, just be careful, protect your heart, so on and so forth. She's never had to explain this part of herself, it was always something that just was, it never needed to be verbalized in such a specific way. She was unsure of how to approach the whole thing.

"It's Cheryl isn't it?" Veronica was so lost in thought she almost didn't register Archie's words. She looks at him quizzically, he repeats himself. Veronica doesn't say anything, but confirms his suspicion with a small affirmative nod.

Archie begins to scratch at the base of his neck, a nervous twitch, "can't say I'm surprised." This makes Veronica looks at him in confusion. He laughs in response and visibly relaxes, reclining back in his seat. "I've seen the way you look at her Ronnie." She rolls her eyes, was she really that obvious. "You're not exactly subtle." He adds teasingly.

"Ok so if it was so obvious why didn't you say something sooner?!" Veronica exasperatedly challenges.

"Ok ok, point taken." He throws his hands up in nock surrender, "Hindsight." He resituates himself so he's now leaning across the table, as if he's ready to receive some juicy gossip. "So, she really likes you?"

A blush graces Veronica's features, "yea, she does." She can't keep the smile off her face. It turns out to be infectious as an equally large one makes its way to Archie's face. His smile is warm, all the worry Veronica spent all day building up melting away with each passing second.

"Glad to hear, I'm happy for you Ronnie," he takes Veronica's hand in his own, " _BOTH_ of you." He adds, noting Cheryl is just as much his friend as Veronica is, so he's happy for her as well.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way." She sighs.

"Don't sweat it," He uses his hands for emphasis, "we tried, it didn't work out, and that's ok. You're still one of my best friends."

"You're seriously cool with all this." It's a statement and a question. She's not sure what kind of response she's looking for.

"Like I said, I'm a little bummed, but I'll get over it." He squeezes Veronicas hand, "I just want you to be happy, and if Cheryl does that, then please, by all means." He releases her hand as he leans back in his chair once again.

"You truly are a great guy Arch."

He shrugs his shoulders, "That's what they tell me."

They spend the rest of their lunch period, actually eating for one thing, but also just enjoying each other's company. Archie's right they were like best friends, it was nice for them to get back to that. They rushed into a relationship neither of them were looking for, and they lost themselves in the process, Veronica thinks it's all for the best. They were better as friends. She's so relieved that this whole mess was actually easy to clean up. For something she spent all day freaking out over, it ended up being one of the highlights of her day. She can already tell Archie is going to tease the two of them a lot, and she doesn't mind it one bit.

What she still didn't understand, was why she was so worried to tell him in the first place. Betty and Cheryl were right, she knew Archie, being the good guy he is, wouldn't be a dick about it. Maybe it had to do with Veronica's new good girl conscience, or her loyalty to Archie as a friend. Regardless, she was just relieved to finally have everything out in the open, no more secrets. Now she can finally be with her girl without hesitation. And that thought was enough to make Veronica smile like an idiot the rest of the day.

 **A/N: Hello! Did anybody really think Archie wasn't going to be cool with this news? He's too sweet. Also how about that episode? So glad we finally got some Cheronica interaction. Anyway hope you enjoyed the update, hoping to get more writing done on my days off so fingers crossed I have another update for you soon! Thanks for all the support, y'all are wonderful human beings!**


	30. Kevin and Riverdale High

Cheryl doesn't see Veronica at all during lunch hour, which was pretty disappointing. When the bell rings signaling the transition to fifth period she sulks to her locker. She was hoping Veronica's talk with Archie wouldn't last the entire lunch break, and that she'd get to see her girlfriend for a few minutes at least. Maybe that was a sign it didn't go over too well? She hates being in the dark about it, especially after the way Veronica was acting earlier. The way she was so worried, caused concern. Was Veronica as into this relationship as she was, was she trying to backpedal thinking she made a mistake?

All these thoughts were swirling around inside her head when a familiar figure appeared from the other side of her locker door. Before she has a chance to greet her, Veronica pulls Cheryl close, her hands cradling the back of Cheryl's ribcage, and kisses her out of the blue. It's passionate, almost too much so for the middle of a school hallway, not that Cheryl's complaining. When Veronica pulls away she states, "It's done."

Cheryl, whose arms had found their way snaked around Veronica's waist, doesn't pull away, but does slightly object to what just happened. "We still haven't told Kevin"

"I'm sure he'll find out soon enough" Veronica looks up, causing Cheryl to do the same. A large group of onlookers watching them, as if mesmerized by the sight. Cheryl and Veronica both give them death glares, silently telling them to screw off. It works for the most part, the majority of people going about their usual walks to class, whispering about the newest gossip. They know they will be the talk of the school for at least the rest of this week. Riverdale High's top two it girls, started as enemies, turned best friends, now casually making out in the middle of the hall, it was a lot for the small town to process.

Cheryl turns her attention back to Veronica, disapprovingly muttering, "Ronn." Her tone stressing the fact that she feels bad about not getting the chance to tell Kevin, he deserved better than having to find out through the school's grapevine.

"Fine." Veronica huffs as she pulls out her phone and crafts a text to Kevin Keller, _**'Cheryl and I are dating now, might want to get hour gaydar checked'**_ Veronica presses send then shows Cheryl phone. "Better?"

Cheryl still looks at her somewhat disapprovingly, but lightly laughs as she responds. "We should have actually sat down with him."

Veronica visibly annoyed whines, "do you or do you not want to be able to kiss me publicly?" She pouts a bit, which causes Cheryl to pull her close.

"I do, I do" They kiss again, although much tamer this time. When Cheryl pulls away, she turns back to her locker, releasing her grip on Veronica. "I take it your talk with Archie went well"

Veronica frowns at the loss of contact, but shifts to lean against the lockers as she goes on to explain. "Very well, he's happy for us."

Cheryl takes a moment to remove her head from her locker and look at her girlfriend's face. "See it wasn't that bad."

Veronica curly nods, and reaches forward to grab at the collar of Cheryl's shirt, fixing it as she asks, "I'm thinking we cancel practice today, so we can talk." Her eyes trained on Cheryl's collarbone.

"Is that code for other activities." Cheryl says, her voice dripping with lust, she turns into Veronica's touch, and the raven-haired girls arms snake around Cheryl's neck.

"Yes and no," Veronica says suggestively, twisting her finger around red locks of hair. "Though, I really do think we should talk." She notes the momentarily confused expression on Cheryl's face, the flirty atmosphere instantly killed. "Nothing bad." Veronica clarifies, Cheryl's face softening, "I just understand now why I was freaking out earlier, and I think there's a few things we should discuss is all."

"Sure." Cheryl agrees to canceling practice. She's not sure she'd want to deal with all the questions and such from the Vixens anyway. Surely word has gotten around school by now about their semi make out session in the hall. "Should I be worried?" She asks, her tone indicating she already is.

"No, not at all." Veronica reassures, gently massaging at the base of Cheryl's head.

"Ok it's just usually when people say we should talk-" Cheryl needs more information to settle her nerves, it would be a very long day otherwise.

"Trust me." Veronica whispers, leaning in close. "I just don't want to get into it here." Looking around to remind them of their very public location, students milling about all around them.

Cheryl nods in agreement as they release their grip on each other, maneuvering so they can hold hands, making their way down the hall to Veronica's locker. Cheryl can't help but beam at the feeling and sight of their conjoined hands. It's a simple gesture that she's dreamt of being able to so for a long time, since she first realized her feeling for Veronica, way back when. It was a rush of adrenaline, to actually see that vision come true. She doesn't let go even when they get to Veronica's locker, forcing the raven-haired girl to open it and get her books one handed. Veronica doesn't seem to mind, she secretly didn't want to let go either.

Cheryl absentmindedly plays with their interlaced fingers, all the while, when they get spooked by an oncoming figure. "The audacity!"

Both girls look up to see the source of the offended voice, a slightly angry Kevin Keller standing in front of them.

"We we're going to tell you properly," Cheryl begins to explain, "but this one" gesturing to Veronica, "doesn't know how to keep her hands off of me." Her tone is playful and teasing. She has no problem throwing her girlfriend under the bus, and the look Veronica gives her upon realizing this is enough to make her laugh out loud.

Veronica feigns hurt, placing her other hand over her heart. "She's one to talk." Yanking at their entwined hands, that's Cheryl was still playing with. She turns her attention to Kevin, "I'm sorry, this isn't how we wanted to tell you, Cheryl's right I lost my patience. But how could I not," she asks as she looks at her girlfriend all lovey-dovey.

The sight is enough to make Kevin cringe, he dramatically shivers a bit as if her could shake off the fluff. "I've been waiting for this to happen for weeks. My gaydar is the farthest from broken." The devilish grin that lights up his face indicates there are no hard feelings.

Both girls are relieved to hear Kevin's more upset at that accusation than the fact they didn't formally tell him the news. All three of them laugh as Kevin scoops up both girls in his arms for a group hug. "I'm so happy for you two!" He gushes as he pulls away, he might be their number one shipper. "Us gays have to stick together, show true mlm wlw solidatrity."

They laugh once again. Kevin is such a special character; the girls wonder why they don't seem to spend as much time with him as they do the others.

The warning bell rings, breaking up the moment. "Can't be late" Kevin interjects as he tightens his grip on his backpack, "but I need details, fill me in later?" He asks as he begins to walk backwards down the hall, pointing at the couple. Veronica yells an 'of course' at him, and he turns around raising his fist in the air Jud Nelson/Breakfast Club style.

The girls laugh once again at Kevin's signature dorkiness. His love for pop culture is always a treat. They make their way down the hall toward Veronica's classroom. Upon arrival, Veronica speaks up, "Have fun in..." She racks her brain trying to remember her latest attempt at cracking the code that was Cheryl's class schedule. A feat she began weeks ago, and was having no luck with. "English?" She guesses.

Cheryl laughs quietly, neither confirming nor denying Veronica's guess. "you still haven't figured it out?"

"Well if you would just tell me _ALREADY_." She stresses the last word, this is obviously a conversation they've had before.

Cheryl leans in, kissing Veronica lightly, "It's more fun this way." She teases, turning to leave, not wanting to be late to her class, but Veronica pulls her back by her wrist.

"Nope. You're not getting off that easy." Veronica pulls Cheryl in for another kiss, this one more reminiscent of the one they shared at the beginning of this whole transition period.

When they break apart, Veronica runs her thumb over Cheryl's bottom lip. "Ok, now you're free to leave." She sends her girlfriend a flirty wink as the redhead leaves much like Kevin did earlier, walking backwards, her hand stretched out missing the contact already. Veronica mimics this gesture as she enters her classroom for the hour.

Sitting at her desk, Veronica could feel the eyes on her, the whisperings of her classmates not unnoticed. She doesn't even care. Her heart is fluttering, and nothing was going to bring her down from this high. Being with Cheryl was already proving to be so much better than she ever imagined, and it hasn't even been a full day.

 **A/N: Yo! This wasn't what I was planning for this chapter but I love it! I just really want Kevin and Cheryl to become gay bffs on the show. Hope this fluff fest didn't give you any cavities lol If you haven't seen it yet, I posted an update to my Cheronica Drabbles series, go check it out! Thank you all for the kind messages and support. This fic has beyond exceeded any expectations I had set out for it. And as long as there's interest in it, I'll do my best to keep cranking out content. You guys are the best, much love!**


	31. Group Chat

"Ok I can't wait any longer, you need to tell me what's going on." She's impatient. Cheryl had been asking Veronica to fill her in the entire ride home, only for Veronica to shoot her down saying it wasn't the right time, she didn't want to be distracted while driving.

She thought as soon as they were alone, Veronica would open up to her about the revelation she had during lunch, but no, apparently just being alone wasn't enough, they also had to be at home. No matter how much reassuring Veronica did to try to convince Cheryl nothing was wrong, she found herself growing more and more paranoid as the day went on.

The second half of the day always felt longer than the morning, and not having any classes together didn't help. Cheryl and Veronica were able to text throughout their remaining classes, but it wasn't enough to distract the redhead from overthinking about Veronica's admission earlier. _'We should talk'_ Those words were almost always accompanied by bad news. Veronica had insisted that wasn't the case, but Cheryl's imagination still ran wild trying to figure out what their topic of conversation would be.

Now that they were back at the Pembroke, Cheryl was done with this waiting game. She stood there, in the middle of Veronica's bedroom, arms crossed over her chest, toe tapping anxiously, awaiting Veronica's response.

"Woah," Veronica takes a few steps forward across the room to take Cheryl's hands in her own. "Relax, there's nothing to be upset about." She doesn't understand why Cheryl is being so defensive. "Come here," Veronica leads Cheryl to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. "Ok, so, after thinking about it, I know now why I was panicking earlier. At first, I thought it was some form of self-sabotage, like I was trying to protect myself from heartbreak. Archie was an excuse to pull away, to keep myself safe, because as much as I like Archie, I know he doesn't have the power to" she pauses a moment, unsure of if she should admit this so soon in their relationship, but she's already gotten this far, she doesn't think she would be able to back down now even if she wanted to. "to really hurt me the way you do."

Cheryl sits there, absorbing Veronica's words. She's flattered by the sly admission that Veronica already likes her that much, enough to really destroy her if they were to break up. She feels the same way, but she figures it's best to keep that a secret for now, not wanting the weight of that kind of power to end up crushing their relationship before it even has a chance to grow.

She can also sense the 'but' coming and she's not sure if that's a reliving thought. What statement follows that still has the possibility to mess with her head, despite the unrelenting confirmation that Veronica is very much invested in this relationship.

Veronica continues, "I realized, I wasn't trying to pull away to protect myself. It was to protect you." Cheryl knits her brow in confusion at this admission. She doesn't quite understand the logic.

The raven-haired girl stands to pace the room a bit, "I got caught up in the what ifs. What if we broke up? What if we couldn't stay friends after that?" She sat down next to Cheryl again, taking the girl's hand in hers. "We _LIVE_ together. What would happen if this didn't work out?" She gestures between them, and to their conjoined hands. "Where would you go? Am I supposed to just send you back to Thornhill so your mom can abuse you again?" She pauses a moment to gather her thoughts, she had already spewed out a lot of words, she wanted to be as clear and concise as possible. "I guess I was overwhelmed by how real things got. And I was worried about the serious impact this step could have on both our lives."

"Ronn," Cheryl tries to interrupt.

"Hold on," Veronica interjects, holding up a hand, "let me say one more thing. I want you to know I'm all in, despite the risks, because there's risks in anything in life, and who am I to deny myself the chance at love just because I was scared of a 'what if' scenario? I want this. I want you." She firmly squeezes Cheryl's hands, thumbs brushing across the backs.

Cheryl waits a moment, silently asking if Veronica is finished. When the girl nods, she begins, "Believe me, I've thought this exact scenario through." She lets out a relieved sigh. "I was just as worried about this as you were. And honestly it makes me feel so much better knowing that you felt that way too. It's reassuring," she looks downcast, feeling the warmth in her cheeks indicating a blush is growing, "and also super sweet to know how much you care about my well-being."

"Of course I care." Veronica softly assures, gently squeezing Cheryl's hands.

"I know. I'm just not used to that I guess." Referring to the fact that other than Jason, Cheryl never really had a proper support system, which is obvious considering their current living situation.

"Well get used to it, cause you've got 4 amazing friends and a wonderful girlfriend," Veronica throws her hair back behind her shoulder in jest, eliciting a small laugh from Cheryl. "who care about you so much it's ridiculous."

Cheryl's face lights up, her eyes glassy with happy tears. This is all she's ever wanted in life, people who actually give a damn about her, and now she's surrounded by love. Her heart swells upon realizing this.

"Can I kiss you now?" Veronica asks, indicating that the talk she was wanting to have is now over, now she just wants to get to the fun stuff.

Cheryl nods in the affirmative and pulls her close. Their lips connect for the first time since that kiss in the hall after lunch. Now that they are home, away from the ogling eyes, they get the opportunity to really take their time and explore each other.

Cheryl's arms tangle around Veronica's neck, fingers threaded through dark hair. Veronica grabs Cheryl's hips and maneuvers them back across the bed, this way she can straddle Cheryl's lap. It's a bold move right out of the gate, but Cheryl doesn't protest, pulling her further up her lap by grabbing the back of Veronica's thighs. Veronica's hands move to cup Cheryl's cheeks as she moves to place soft kisses along her jawline, before trailing down her neck. This move causes Cheryl to roll her head back, granting Veronica better access. When Veronica reaches the base of Cheryl's neck, she travels further to suck at the freckles just below Cheryl's collar bone. _("You see these here...these are my favorite freckles.")_ She thanks the heavens Cheryl decided to wear a plunging neckline today.

Just as she's about to pull away and smile at the mark she no doubt just left on Cheryl's skin, her phone buzzes in her pocket, and Cheryl's notification tone beeps at the same time, ultimately killing the mood. She places her forehead against Cheryl's shoulder, huffing in annoyance, "Why did we ever let Betty convince us to join a group chat?"

Cheryl laughs lightly as she threads her fingers through Veronica's hair, pulling her head up so she can place a quick kiss to her lips. "I don't recall you protesting the idea at the time, unlike me and Jug." She's right, both Cheryl and Jughead were vehemently against the idea of a group chat which Betty so excitedly proposed at lunch one day. Despite all their opposition, Betty won out in the end, like usual.

"Yea yea," Veronica sits back, still straddling Cheryl's legs. She pulls the phone out of her pocket to see the new message.

 **Betty: Can we expect the lovebirds to make an appearance at Pop's tonight? ;)**

Cheryl peaks Veronica's phone to read the message, to lazy, but also too pinned down, to bother getting her phone for the purse she left sitting on the floor by the edge of the bed. Three dots appear, indicating someone was typing, Cheryl couldn't tell who from her angle.

 **Jughead: are we seriously going to refer to them as a unit now?  
If so we need a better codename than lovebirds, gross**

 **Archie: I'm with Jug, lovebirds is weird** ****

 **Betty: ooh a ship name!  
How about Veryl or Blodge?** **  
**  
Veronica rolls her eyes at this and immediately starts typing.

 **Veronica: No, no ship names, besides it's obviously Cheronica ;)**

Cheryl looks up at Veronica, her eyebrow popped up in question. Veronica answers, "what? So I may have already thought this through." Cheryl give her a cheeky smile, as she tries not to blush thinking about Veronica scrawling their names over and over her notebooks like a lovestruck schoolgirl.

 **Betty: Ahh she answers! So do we need to order you guys a celebratory milkshake or what?** ****

 **Archie: My treat!**

Both Cheryl and Veronica audibly aww at Archie's gesture. They are so glad he's being such a good sport about the whole situation. "As much as I'd love to, I'd really rather spend the night in with my girlfriend, if that's ok." Cheryl admits aloud to the girl still sitting on her lap, wrapping her arms around Veronica's back. God she loves using that word, _girlfriend_ , it really is a dream come true.,

Veronica lowers her phone a moment to get a better look at Cheryl's face. A large grin graces her features before she leans forward to peck at Cheryl's mouth. She loves hearing that word just as much as Cheryl loves to say it. She dives back into her phone sending a message to the group.

 **Veronica: Raincheck on that milkshake! We've got…other things planned for tonight.**

Betty responds with a winky emoji and Jughead sends the nauseous one quickly after. Archie is silent on this one, which causes Cheryl concern, so she pushes Veronica off her lap, so she can get her phone.

 **Cheryl: Not THAT, get your mind out of the gutter. I just don't want to share Veronica right now :P** **  
**  
Veronica looks up from her current laying position to see the redhead sitting at the end of the bed, "So what _IS_ the plan then?"

Cheryl crawls over across the bed to straddle her girl, placing her hands on either side of Veronica's head for support. Her hair falls around them, almost creating a shade. She leans down as if to kiss Veronica, yelling "Movie night!" as she quickly bounds off the bed to go change into her pajamas.

Veronica let's out a disgruntled noise, calling out to the girl in the closet., "Uggg, you've gotta stop leaving me hanging like that!"

 **A/N: hey hey! Sorry to leave y'all hanging with this cliffhanger of an update lol I had to split this chapter into 2 parts because it felt more natural this way. I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless. Let me know your thoughts/feelings, I love talking to you all! Thank you!**


	32. Playbook

When the room is properly set up for movie night, complete with extra pillows and blankets, mood lighting, aka the string of Christmas lights hanging around Veronica's room, and plenty of snacks, the girls settle in bed, against the headboard, to begin the evenings marathon. Given the high frequency in which they have movie nights, they had the routine down pat.

After the Netflix queue was set up, full of movies they've both already seen before, a fact that gives them the opportunity to partake in _other_ activities without missing any key plot points, the girls snuggle into each other like they usually do.

Sitting back against the headboard, Cheryl rests her head atop Veronica's, which was resting on her own shoulder. Veronica's arm is wrapped loosely around Cheryl's waist, which Cheryl cradles with her left arm, gently massaging the crook of Veronica's elbow. It was their go to cuddling position when watching tv. Cheryl loved the feeling of Veronica's hair tickling her neck, the warmth her presence provided, but she especially loves the tingling sensation flowing through her veins. It used to be due to the fact that she was hiding her feelings for the girl curled into her side, nerves, the feeling of butterflies in her stomach running wild, but now that they were together, the feeling intensified in the most amazing way. It was heightened. It was no longer about nerves or anxiousness, it was a calming sensation. She felt full. She felt loved. It was a fulfilling feeling.

Veronica was somehow able to fill all the broken cracks in Cheryl's heart. She gave her the care and attention she's always craved in life, in large part due to the lack of such basic needs from her own parents. All her life, Cheryl worked to impress her parents just so they would pay her mind. It never occurred to her to look for that affection somewhere else, through _someone_ else. She always thought it mattered that it came from her parents. That's what they were there for right, to love and nurture their children? Now she knows it doesn't matter, she doesn't need their love, not anymore. She's found that, and so much more with Veronica and their group of friends. It no longer mattered to her what her mother thought of her, and it certainly didn't matter what her late father thought. Now she's got a support system of people who are there for her, and that, _THAT'S_ what truly matters.

About halfway through the first movie, Cheryl breaks their comfortable silence, "This is great. You know, it's like nothing's changed, it's like we've been dating this whole time." She laughs at the thought. They've been very comfortable with each other since the week Cheryl moved in. Never shying away from each other, both emotionally and physically. It really has been like they've always been a couple.

Veronica lifts her head from its position perched upon Cheryl's shoulder to disagree. "Things _have_ changed." Cheryl looks at her challengingly, a brow perked in curiosity. Veronica continues, "for example," she pauses as she resituates herself, "I can now confidently do this," she grabs Cheryl's hand, lacing their fingers together. "And this," she rolls over further into Cheryl's side, tangling her leg in between Cheryl's. She looks up into her girlfriend's eyes, "and of course now there's this," she leans in to kiss the redhead.

When she pulls away, Veronica laughs at Cheryl's lazy smile, proud she got her point across. "Then there's always more to that, that is if you're comfortable with it." She implies as she stares lustfully into Cheryl's eyes.

"About that..." Cheryl trails off, turning her attention back to the movie playing on the tv across the room. "We should talk." She mutes the volume before moving, her weight shifting from her back to her side as she turns toward Veronica, her back now to the tv. Veronica mimics her shift, so they are both resting on their sides facing each other head on, propped up by the mound of pillows underneath them. Veronica curls her legs up under her to sit up further.

"I haven't done _this_ before," She gestures between them, "so I'm gonna need some time to, I don't know, figure it out?" Cheryl sputters, feeling unsure of herself, and feeling a bit embarrassed by her lack of experience.

Veronica grabs Cheryl's hand to establish some type of physical contact, which she missed the moment they shifted to this discussion position. "It's not like I'm a pro either. I've only done it a couple of times, and I was kinda drunk during one of those occasions." Referring to the only times she's had sex with a girl.

Veronica doesn't exactly follow Cheryl's precise implication so she further explains, "No, um," she's unsure of how she wants to word her confession, deciding to beat around the bush a bit, hoping Veronica will figure it out herself, "Jay Jay protecting me wasn't the only reason my name wasn't in that playbook." Cheryl explains, referring to the book the football team had, documenting their sexual pursuits of the girls of Riverdale High. A sick display of misogyny. Treating sex as a game, a _'conquest'_ as they called it. As if these girls were some sort of prize to get, to earn points in the name of their manhood. Veronica still seems a bit perplexed by Cheryl's cryptic approach.

Cheryl inhales deeply, figuring she's going to have to bite the bullet. "I'm a virgin."

She used the excuse of Jason not allowing the guys to use his twin sister in their sick games as the reason her name remained unwritten, no ticks to be checked off, no points to be gained, she was off limits, and she made sure everyone knew about it. However, the fact remains that even if Jason wasn't able to do such a thing it wouldn't matter, Cheryl Blossom was a virgin, there would be no points next to her name because she's never done anything to earn those points. A fact that no one would believe even if you told them so.

Veronica lightly laughs, "Oh, honey," she takes Cheryl's upper arms in her hands, gently rubbing them. "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing cause it's funny, it's just, why do you think I keep asking if I can kiss you?" Cheryl shrugs her shoulders a little confused by Veronica's reaction. "I don't want to do anything you aren't comfortable with." She stops her petting motion, her hands still wrapped around Cheryl's arms. "Consent is a very important part of a healthy relationship. I don't want you to ever think I'm pushing you into something you're not ready for." She tucks a strand of hair behind the redhead's ear, before returning it to its previous position.

"So you don't care that I haven't had sex?" Cheryl's voice is uncertain, and she won't make eye contact due to embarrassment.

"No, not at all." Veronica takes Cheryl's hands in her own, moving to sit up on her knees, "Everyone moves at their own pace, there's no rule saying you have to loose your virginity in high school, or college, or whatever. All that matters is that you do it when _you_ feel ready, not because you feel pressured to do so." She's so assuring, gently stroking the backs of Cheryl's hands with her thumbs, squeezing at them lightly, forcing Cheryl to make eye contact with her so she can show her she means the best.

"Wow, than-thank you. That's not the reaction I was expecting to be honest." Cheryl's taken aback by how understanding and non-judgmental she was being. If anyone else found out this information, they would no doubt use it against her or spread the news around town making her the laughing stock of Riverdale high.

"What, did you think I was gonna have a problem with it?" Veronica asks, mildly offended, but not really.

"No," Cheryl immediately assures, "I just thought you'd be surprised I guess. _THE_ Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale's resident queen bee, it's kinda shocking given my status." She stresses her importance as Riverdale High's top tier socialite.

"First off," Veronica holds up a finger in protest, " _ONE_ of Riverdale's queen bees, or did you forget who you're dating?" She holds up another finger, "second I guess it is a bit surprising," she puts her hand down, and takes hold of Cheryl's again, "but it doesn't make me think any less of you."

Cheryl is in awe. "How are you so perfect?"

"What do you mean?" Veronica inquires as she tilts her head to the side.

"You always know exactly what to say, you constantly surprise me with how caring you are," Cheryl sinks into herself, deflating, "I don't deserve someone as good as you."

Veronica is not here for Cheryl feeling unworthy, she scoots closer sitting up even higher on her knees, she pulls Cheryl up with her, arms encircling her waist. "I'm far from perfect, but I truly am trying to be better, for my family, my friends, and especially for you." She raises a hand to cup Cheryl's cheek, "You absolutely deserve all the love in the world. I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure you feel that." She pulls her girlfriend in for a tight hug.

They hold the embrace for a moment, and when they pull away Cheryl finds herself at a loss for words. "I, I don't know what to say..." She knows what she _WANTS_ to say, but she decides to say that for another day. "Thank you." She kisses Veronica, catching her off guard by throwing her back down on the bed. She moves to straddle her girlfriend, giggling, it's reminiscent of their positioning from earlier, except this time the roles are reversed.

She leans down to capture Veronica's lips again, she has a feeling they won't be getting back to that movie anytime soon.

 **A/N: Hello! Just a quick update for you, I don't know if canon contradicts this at all, and I'm too lazy to look it up. It's something I've always headcanoned so here it is! Anyway, hope you like this chapter, let me know what y'all think! Feedback gives me life! Much love to y'all, thanks for reading!**


	33. Tease

It's dark when she wakes up, that's one of the things Cheryl hates most about winter. It's always dark and gloomy. From the moment she wakes up its dark, lightening up for a few measly hours of sunshine, that is on the handful of days it's not overcast, just for it to get dark again in the early evening. The days were too short, and yet they always felt like they dragged on.

Aside from the weird time warp dysphoria these late fall, early winter months provided, perhaps the worst thing about this time of year, is the cold weather. Cheryl would sleep under a pile of blankets, wearing her warmest yet still chic pajamas. It was never quite enough for the Riverdale's coldest nights, but it was a start. The combination of the dark morning and the prospect of leaving her warm bed to be accosted by the cold morning air, was the worst. However, this morning, as the tend has been as of late, Cheryl had her own personal space heater to keep her warm at night. Veronica's body heat is just the thing she needed to fully keep her nice and cozy at night.

Cheryl finds her body currently sandwiched between the bed and the still sleeping raven-haired girl half on top of her, head on her chest, arms wrapped around her waist, and leg tangled between her own. It's a more intimate position than the ones she's used to waking up in. Then again, their relationship has gotten more intimate in the past couple days. It was still so crazy to Cheryl that Veronica was now her girlfriend. They went from rivals to best friends practically overnight following Cheryl's incident at Sweetwater River, and they've only grown closer every day since, leading up to their ultimate coming together as a couple. In many ways it felt like a dream come true.

The redhead rolls over to her side as best as she can, gently shifting out from under the weight of the girl on top of her. She leans forward to press a kiss to Veronica's forehead. When the girl doesn't wake at this, Cheryl reaches out and begins to lightly trace her finger over the surface of Veronica's face. She studies every detail, memorizing every blemish and freckle, not that she has many of either. Veronica flinches the most when Cheryl's fingers crosses the small patch of skin between her eyebrows. Once again, Cheryl leans forward to place a gentle kiss, this time to that spot just above her nose.

Veronica's eyes slowly flutter open at the slight increase of pressure. Cheryl smiles wide and whispers, "Good morning! Sorry to wake you so early, I just couldn't help myself." She knows Veronica's alarm isn't set to go off for another 30 minutes, but she couldn't wait that long to talk to her, plus she can go back to sleep once Cheryl gets up to shower.

Veronica licks her lips and smiles softly in response. "I could get used to this." Cheryl knits her brow in wonder, so Veronica clarifies, "waking up next to you."

Cheryl laughs. "You have been for over a month now."

"It's only been a month?" Veronica replies in surprise. "It feels like so much longer than that."

"More like 5 weeks, but yea I know what you mean." Cheryl settles back into her pillow. There's a comfortable silence between them for a moment, just staring into each other's eyes. It's a subtle thing, but each look expresses so much more than words could in this moment. Cheryl is forever grateful that Veronica took her in all those weeks ago, practically begging her to stay at the Pembroke. Who knows what would have happened to her if she returned to Thornhill. Would she even be friends with Veronica? Would things have just gone back to the way they were before? A silent agreement to never acknowledge what happened at the river between the five of them. Cheryl shudders at the thought of not being friends with the group of people who quite literally saved her life.

"Have I ever properly thanked you for letting me stay here?" Cheryl asks before leaning forward capturing Veronica's lips in her own, not even waiting for an answer. Her hand trails down from Veronica's shoulder, across her ribcage, coming to rest on her hip. She squeezes hold and pulls Veronica closer to her as their lips and tongues dance around each other.

When Cheryl pulls away, ever so slightly, Veronica hums in satisfaction, "Many times, but never like that, please continue." She inches forward to kiss the redhead again.

Cheryl pulls back to speak. "Thank. You. For. Being. My. Safe. Haven." A kiss between every word, each one more intense than the last.

It's such a tender moment, "You're such a sap." Veronica muses, a light laugh accompanying her bright smile. "I love it."

There it is again, the urge to say those three words. Cheryl has to bite her tongue. She knows it's too early for those kinds of confessions. While she's had feeling for Veronica for months, they've only officially been together for a day. She doesn't want to scare her by saying _THAT_ word too soon. Ideally, it shouldn't matter when or how long it's been before saying it, as long as that's how you actually feel, but things have been so intense between them given their unique situation. Being brought together in such a tragic way, and then spending almost every second together since. Their relationship isn't exactly traditional in any sense of the word. So while Cheryl may actually love Veronica, she wants to wait for things to calm down, to return to some form of normalcy, before she can truly judge her feelings, unclouded from the intensity of their past.

"What are you thinking about?" Veronica interrupts Cheryl's train of thought. When Cheryl silently asks what, by scrunching her face, Veronica repeats herself, adding, "You made a face."

Cheryl takes a moment to weight her options on what to say. She settles with, "Just how much I like you." It's not exactly a lie, but it's not the entire truth either. She feels it's an appropriate enough middle ground.

Veronica's face flushes, and she hides her face in the pillow, "Stop!" She pleads, stretching the syllable. "you're making my heart do things." She playfully hits Cheryl with the pillow underneath her. Her heart overcome by the all too familiar fluttering feeling she gets when around Cheryl.

Cheryl laughs as she takes that pillow hostage, holding it tight to her chest. "Good things I hope."

"Very good," she assures. "and if you keep it up," she manages to sneak her hand underneath Cheryl's which grips the corner of the pillow, Veronica uses this in to steal the pillow, only to throw it across the room. She turns her attention back to Cheryl and walls her fingers up Cheryl's chest, tickling her neck, "we're not leaving this bed." She leans forward to place a kiss at the base of Cheryl's neck, where her fingers were still resting, insinuating other more _mature_ things would happen if they continued this lovefest.

Cheryl's body definitely reacts to this move, a warm feeling overcoming her, but she protests lightly, "We can't skip school, it's a Friday." Knowing that all the teachers assign weekend homework for Monday morning. She grabs Veronica's hand, threading their fingers together before resting their conjoined hands in the small space between their resting bodies.

"What happened to _'my GPA can handle it'_?" Veronica counters doing her best impression of the Cheryl from the locker room all those weeks ago who was adamant on skipping chemistry class.

"Oh _MINE_ can, not so sure about yours though." Cheryl teases.

Veronica recoils slightly from Cheryl's embrace, "Wow, maybe I was wrong about you being a sap. You're still vicious, even to your lovely girlfriend." She's feigning hurt, but failing as she can't keep the teasing smile off her face. She knows it's all in jest, and she honestly loves the bite behind Cheryl's voice. It's kinda hot, she thinks.

"Get used to it, I always mock the ones I love most." Cheryl laughingly admits as she pulls Veronica in once again, this time for a make out session.

This one lasts a long time. The girls taking their time exploring each other with gentle caresses, light pecks to every inch of exposed skin. They don't stop until Veronica's alarm goes off indicating they really did need to get out of bed, or risk being late to school. Veronica pulls back first with a disgruntled sigh, mad that the alarm had to interrupt them.

Cheryl just smiles at Veronica's reaction. She strokes her cheek to get Veronica to relax. "You can shower, I'm just gonna wear my hair up today." There's not enough time for both of them to take showers. Their entire morning routine was built around the shower schedule, and by not getting up when her alarm went off, Cheryl missed her chance at one. They both reluctantly get out of bed, stretching out all the kinks from the night before.

"You could join me?" Veronica states with uncertainty, not wanting to cross any lines Cheryl wasn't ready for, but also as a way to continue the flirty vibe they've been playing in all morning. She doesn't want it to end.

Cheryl hums as if mulling it over, "as tempting as that sounds, my hair takes too long to dry and style, we'd end up being late, that is if we are even able to leave in the first place." Insinuating that that situation would most likely escalate, making it even harder for them to leave the apartment.

Veronica is relieved Cheryl seemed open to the invitation and not scared off by it, "well if you change your mind, you know where to find me." She tosses a wink over her shoulder as she leaves the room.

Cheryl laughs in response. She goes about picking out an outfit for the day. Once dressed, she takes a seat at the corner vanity to continue her usual morning routine, starting with her hair today rather than her makeup, since she doesn't have to dry it.

Veronica joins her about 15 minutes later wearing only a towel, disappearing into the walk in closet a moment after her reflection first appeared in the mirror. It's not something she usually does, normally having changed in the bathroom before reentering the bedroom. It's like she was silently teasing Cheryl by presenting herself in such a tempting way. Cheryl admits to herself that she could definitely get used to the sight, of Veronica in a towel, and out of one...

Her dirty thoughts get interrupted by be a now fully dressed Veronica standing behind her as she sits in the vanity bench. "Hey, so I was thinking." Veronica begins as she plays with Cheryl's hair, a gesture she does often that both girls have grown to love. "I owe you a proper first date, since I was oblivious the first time." Cheryl looks up at her reflection in the mirror, smiling softly. Their first date was a roaring success until the 'girls night' comment Veronica made, crushing all of Cheryl's hopes in the process. However, Veronica did redeem herself by figuring it out eventually, a few hours too late, but she figured it out nonetheless.

Veronica's eyes meet hers and the same smile crosses her face, "would you do me the pleasure of letting me take you out? Say tonight?"

Cheryl blushes, "so proper, who knew you were such a gentleman."

Veronica laughs, "so is that a yes?"

Cheryl hums, pretending to really think about her answer. She notices Veronica's slight annoyed expression in the mirror. She turns around, stands up and kisses Veronica softly. "Yes, I'd love that."

Veronica's heart flutters upon hearing those words, even though she knew Cheryl would say yes considering they are already dating. It still felt so good to hear.

They spend the rest of their morning getting ready for school. The flirty atmosphere still going strong. The honeymoon phase of their relationship in full swing, and neither girl could get enough of it.

 **A/N: Hey all! I hope everyone's had a lovely week, and for those who celebrated the holiday, hope it was well! Between the holiday and work, I have been very busy, so I'm relieved to finally have a bit of a break to get this up for you. I'm sure most of you have already seen it, but in case you haven't, I posted a one shot titled "Incubus" the other day as a missing scene between episodes 2x05 and 2x06, just a bunch of Cheronica fluff the show neglected to give us. So please go check that out if you haven't, I'd really appreciate it. As always, please leave me a comment, kudos, share it with your Riverdale friends, etc. I love chatting to all you, and your kind words keep me going! Thanks for all your continued support! Much love! :)**


	34. Calc Study Sesh

They split up shortly after arriving to school, Veronica going to meet up with Betty, while Cheryl went to her weekly calculus study session with Jughead. It's something they've been doing over the past few weeks, sometimes meeting two or three times if a quiz or test was coming up, or in the more recurring event that their study sessions ended up being more of a gossip council.

The girls were running a little late due to their inability to keep their hands, and lips, off of each other. After multiple 'where are you?' texts from both halves of the 'Bughead' ship, as Veronica deemed them, they rushed to get to the remaining 30 minutes of 'pre-class social period,' aka the few minutes before school officially starts where students who arrive early spend hanging out, doing last minute homework, eating the poor excuse for breakfast the school cafeteria offers beforehand.

When Cheryl entered the blue and gold office where they had their weekly meetings, she couldn't help but sing song the news she's been excited to tell Jughead all morning. "Guess who has a date tonight?!" She was giddy, and it was all too much for Jughead to handle at this early of an hour.

He slumps back in his seat, leaning his head backward to look at his approaching friend. "Oh god, please tell me this isn't a double thing." Betty has already proposed the idea of a double date multiple times since their best friends started dating each other, a _whole day_ ago, and much to Jug's annoyance, he knew it was an inevitable circumstance he would have to deal with.

"No, it's just Ronn and I tonight," Cheryl explains as she takes a seat at the table across from where Jug was sitting. "But believe me as soon as _YOUR_ girlfriend" she puts her elbow on the table to prop up her head, "gets wind of the news she's going to want to schedule one asap." She's not exactly keen on the idea either, while she has no qualms about PDA, evident from her and Veronica's practically borderline makeout session in the hallway yesterday, Cheryl didn't feel super comfortable sharing that vulnerable lovey dovey side around others.

Jughead groans in response knowing full well that Cheryl is right, although he would never verbally admit it. He rolls his eyes at Cheryl's smirk, she knows he knows she's right, and it fills her with a sanctimonious feeling. "We're going on another first date, since Veronica didn't realize our first-first date was a date to begin with." She explains as if it makes perfect sense, not realizing Jughead hadn't been filled in on that specific detail of their relationship.

"Wait a minute, maybe it's cause you said the words first and date like a million times in that sentence, but I'm confused, what?" He asks in exasperation, his mind trying to untangle the knot of information Cheryl just revealed.

Cheryl seems surprised, "Did Betty not tell you?" Assuming the busy body would have spilled all their secrets to her boyfriend.

"Believe it or not, but Betty and I have other more pressing things to discuss, and _do_ ," he adds, stressing the syllable and flashing a sly smirk, Cheryl knew exactly what he was insinuating, and it made her shrink in discomfort. "when we're alone than deciphering every detail of your love life."

"Ok that's information I never needed to know, and a mental image I never wanted to see." She retracts from the table a bit, as Jughead once again leans back in his chair.

Jughead laughs at Cheryl's response. He not so secretly loves getting a rise out of Riverdale's resident It-girl. Just the fact that they are even friends in the first place was an entertaining enough thought for him. They certainly come from opposite sides of the spectrum. Perhaps that's why they work so well together. Their signature styles of snark, emerging from their respective upbringings are equally matched. They are the only people who could truly go toe to toe and it would be an even fight. He relishes in being able to push her buttons in a way he knows others never could. It's like a superpower, and he understands the responsibility that put on his shoulders.

"Alright, all jokes aside, what do you mean 'another first date'?" He uses air quotes around Cheryl's words.

"When I asked Veronica out, she thought it was just a friends thing, I guess I wasn't explicit enough in my approach." Cheryl explains, giving Jug the sparknotes version of that evening.

Jughead doubles over the table in laughter, he can't imagine the redhead to be anything _BUT_ blunt and to the point. That's certainly how she's always been with him, cutting right to the punch with zero regard for his feelings. The fact that there was a miscommunication about her intentions made for a hilarious scenario. Imagining a bumbling Cheryl be intimidated by a girl brought a big smile to his face. If even Cheryl Blossom could get nervous around a crush, then it was reassuring, given every moment he's ever chickened out or shied away from Betty. Curious, and still laughing lightly, he asks, "but how did she find out it actually was a date? Did you have to tell her?"

"Not exactly, she figured it out..." She trails off, a bit embarrassed for Veronica, not sure if she would be ok with Jughead knowing the specific details. But then she remembers that she probably told Betty everything as well, so it's not like Jug wouldn't find out eventually. "At like 4 am."

This causes Jughead to lose it. He can't contain his laughter, and honestly the more Cheryl thinks about it, the funnier it gets to her as well, so she joins him.

Once they calm down enough to speak again Cheryl continues. "She woke me up to ask if it was a date, annoyed by her obliviousness, I kissed her then promptly went back to sleep."

"Smooth." Jughead laughs lightly, he's not even bothered by the fact that they should be studying at the moment. In fact, he even actively searches for information to continue the conversation, "so how is it living together and dating? I know it hasn't been long, but I guess that's what the whole uhaul-ing phenomenon's all about right?"

Cheryl raises a finger in protest, "First, don't perpetuate that stereotype." She holds up another finger. "Second, we were living together before we got together, it's totally different."

"Sure it is." He raises his eyebrows as he responds.

She decides to move on, "to answer your question, things haven't really changed," She leans over the table as if about to drop some hot gossip, "except now we make out like all the time." She answers rather matter of factly, shrugging her shoulders in response. Two can play the brag game, and this time Jughead shudders in discomfort. She smirks proudly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

He rolls his eyes in response, letting Cheryl have her win, this time. He pushes the conversation forward with another question. "So, what are you doing on this second first date?"

Cheryl sits up a bit, shifting her weight from one side to the other. "Don't know, she wants it to be a surprise."

"Ugh, I hate surprises." He sighs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's a good thing it's not a double then." Cheryl quips, her cheeks perked.

Jughead softly sighs, "Our girls are gonna be the death of us aren't they." It's less of a question than it is a statement he points out, accepting the truth by verbalizing it, all the while knowing that both B and V will be all for this double date idea, forcing the two of them to go along.

Cheryl nods her head in agreement, "But I couldn't ask for a sweeter way to die."

Jughead rolls his eyes again, feigning disgust. "You really are a softie." He laughs, the smile on his face growing devilishly wide. Of course, he's already known this fact since he's had to listen to Cheryl gush about Veronica for the weeks following the day he initially reached out in support. It's a side to Cheryl he never expected to see, and frankly doubted even existed in the first place. Yet every time she reveals this hidden aspect, he is pleasantly surprised all over again.

Cheryl just blushes and hangs her head in effort to hide the red color of her cheeks. She secretly always loves when people express this sentiment to her. She's always been known as the cold as ice head bitch, who's ruthless and uncaring. It's always a very heartwarming feeling to hear someone describe her in the opposite way. It's humanizing, and it makes her feel like she's not as evil as the Blossom reputation suggests. Coming from Jughead, someone who should be full of animosity over their families' history, this sentiment was all the more comforting.

Before she can reply with some kind of mushy response, much to Jughead's relief, the bell rings bringing an end to their however unproductive 'study' session. They instead exchange goodbyes and share a brief hug, with a promise to combat their girlfriends' insistence on doubling. They might not be able to stop it from happening, but they had the ability to at least delay the inevitable right? 


	35. Not Another Teen Drama

After Cheryl left her, to study with Jughead, Veronica made her way to the student lounge to find her best friend. It only took a moment to locate Betty's iconic blonde ponytail from across the room. She was sitting in one of the large arm chairs, looking over her notebook, lightly tapping her pencil against the spiral binding, something she does a lot these days, a nervous tick developed while working through trying to figure out this town's secrets. Betty the ever-persistent reporter she is, felt it was her job to get to the bottom of all the mysteries, no matter how small, or who they involved. This urge to search for the truth often carried over to her personal life, making discussions with her friends all the more layered and consequential, especially in those instances where she's able to get her best friend to come to realizations just through a simple conversation, much like today…

Veronica glides across the room to meet her friend, excited to share her news about her and Cheryl's first date redo. "Hey B!" She greets as she walks around the couches to take a seat in the chair next to where Betty was sitting. The blonde looks up with a warm smile, setting down her pencil and sitting up in her chair, turning her attention to Veronica.

"Hey, so I'll ask again since you wouldn't answer my texts, how was your evening in with your girlfriend?" Betty drags out the last word, teasing her friend. She had messaged her multiple times last night, and once again this morning to see how things were going, all of which went ignored. Since she didn't get the chance to talk to her since yesterday morning, she wanted an update on everything, and she may have been a tad bit impatient.

A large smile stretches across Veronica's face, hearing others say that word when referring to Cheryl made her so ridiculously happy. _Girlfriend._ _Your girlfriend._ She lightly blushes as she repeats the sentiment in her head, she'll never get tired of hearing that word. "Sorry we were too distracted," she begins with a wink, implying they were too busy making out to bother checking their phones. Betty rolls her eyes in response, causing Veronica to laugh. She loved poking fun at Betty in this way, she thinks it's cute the way the blonde gets all flustered, cheeks turning red.

Changing gears to a more serious tone, to give Betty a break, Veronica continues. "We had a nice night. _AND_ I'm hoping we have another tonight, since we are having a do over date." She's bubbling over with excitement and it's contagious.

Betty genuinely looks just as excited as Veronica does. She leans forward in her seat, so she can get all the dirt. "Oh was this your idea?" She knew Cheryl asked out Veronica the first time, she wanted to know if the trend continued or if Veronica stepped up this go around.

"Yep," Veronica pops the 'p' with a large, proud, smile. "I felt like I had to make it up to her since I ruined our first date." She looks downcast as she fiddles with her fingers in her lap. She never fully explained all the details of that first date disaster to Betty and she knew this conversation was probably going to lead to the revelation of it all.

Betty is a bit confused, "I thought you just didn't realize it was a date at first, how did you ruin it?"

"It may have taken me longer to figure it out than that." Betty's brows furrow and she gives Veronica a look asking for more information. Veronica sighs deeply, closing her eyes shut tight as she admits. "It was more around 4 am."

"What?!" Betty sits back, laughing in surprise. That is not at all what she was expecting. She always assumed somewhere around the end of dinner or them getting home she figured it out, or maybe Cheryl kissed her before she knew and just went along with it because that's all she's ever wanted in the first place. "Wait, so how did you even come to that realization?" She needed all the details at this point to truly understand this crazy scenario. She laughs at the mental image of Veronica shooting up in bed at four in the morning, suddenly enlightened. How on earth does that situation even come about, Betty wonders.

"Well, Cheryl went to bed upset, wouldn't really talk to me, didn't cuddle with me like usual" Betty shoots her a devilish smirk, of course they cuddled even before they started dating. "I could tell something was wrong," The raven-haired girl explains, using her hands for emphasis, "and I was retracing my steps to figure out where I messed up, and once I discovered the source of her mood shift, it was the only logical explanation." She shrugs her shoulders, placing her hands back into her lap, hoping to leave it at that.

"So what did you do?" Betty whispers as she leans forward again, so engrossed in this story. Of course she wasn't going to let it go.

Veronica sighs, knowing there's no more avoiding it, she has to tell her. "Ugh so after we got back from dinner I told her it was fun and suggested we invite you next time, make it a 'girls night.'" She speaks fast, hoping Betty doesn't catch the implication. Air quotes around girl's night.

But, alas she's talking to super sleuth Betty Cooper, ace reporter for the Blue and Gold, of course she's going to be able to connect the dots. She starts laughing wildly, obviously getting it right away, "Oh my god, why didn't you tell me that before?!"

"Because it's embarrassing! I practically suggested we have a three some." Her face flushes bright red in embarrassment, she looks around hoping no one overheard her sudden outburst, before burying her face in her hands, unable to look Betty in the eye.

"That's hilarious," Betty's laughter dies down pretty suddenly which causes Veronica look up, "aww Cheryl must have been crushed." Betty places a hand over her heart. She sincerely felt bad for Cheryl in that moment, it must have been so heartbreaking to realize that Veronica didn't think it was a date. She couldn't imagine how awkward it would be to be rejected and then have to continue to live with that person, let alone share a bed with them.

She can see the hurt in Veronica's eyes, she must not have really thought about how Cheryl must have felt in that moment. Betty could tell Veronica was internally beating herself up, so she decided not to dwell on that aspect any further. "For the record, I'm not interested." She starts laughing again hoping to lighten the mood.

"As if I would be into that idea." Veronica scoffs in annoyance, but there is a hint of a smile lingering behind the look in her eyes.

"I don't know," Betty teases, "I mean you _did_ kiss me the day we met."

Veronica looks up in surprise, neither of them have mentioned that kiss since it happened, and she never expected Betty to ever bring it up that's for sure. "It was the second day, or do you not remember me interrupting your little date with Archie at Pop's?" She gives Betty a knowing smirk, it's funny to think how wildly things have changed since she first arrived in Riverdale. A lovestruck Betty was harping over Archie Andrews and now she's dating his best friend, it was all very tv teen drama. "Also, that kiss was just to get a rise out of Cheryl."

"Which must have worked on a level you didn't even know of at the time." Betty chimes in, not missing a beat.

Veronica looks at her friend quizzically, "Are you suggesting Cheryl's liked me since the day we met? Or did you just forget about all the stuff that went down between us after that." Cheryl and Veronica were rivals, frenemies at best, since the day they met. They had their moments of being civil, after the pep rally, their weird sleepover at Thornhill, and obviously the day of the incident. The thing that ultimately brought them together. Cheryl has admitted she's liked Veronica for a while now, but she never specified the moment when her feelings began, could Betty be right?

Betty shrugs her shoulders as she moves to rest against the back of the chair. "I'm just saying, repressed feelings can have quite the effect on someone's personality. Cheryl was already a bitch, but you brought out a more intense side to her."

Veronica appears to mull over this information. She always assumed the intense rivalry she and Cheryl had was due to Veronica actually standing up to the redhead, not taking her shit just because she was the queen bee. The thought never occurred to Veronica, that Cheryl could have been lashing out in response to her repressed feelings. It seemed a plausible and possible enough explanation.

"Can I ask you something?" Veronica suddenly asks, her voice quieter as she looks around to see if there are any nosy students listening in. Betty sees this and leans forward, elbows on her knees to keep their conversation between them. "Have you ever seen Cheryl with a girlfriend?" Veronica asks, "Or boyfriend?" She adds, considering she's not sure how Cheryl identifies, she's seen her kiss boys before, but that doesn't mean much when it obviously didn't mean anything, more for fun and exploitation than anything else.

Betty takes a moment to reflect over all the years she's known Cheryl Blossom. Her face scrunches in concentration before she relaxes, "you know, thinking back, I can't recall a time were Cheryl was in a serious relationship with _anyone_ , other than her brother." She moves right past that fact, not wanting to push the incest fodder any further. "I've definitely heard stories about her wild nights with Riverdale randos, but nothing's actually lasted longer than that to my knowledge."

This information doesn't exactly surprise Veronica, but it does give her some much needed perspective on the girl she's dating. She suddenly feels a responsibility to really take care of her, to show her what a healthy relationship is like. She knows those wild nights Betty's referring to aren't true, or at least they didn't end the way the general Riverdale High public thinks they did. Even if they had come to that sort of conclusion, it wouldn't matter, Veronica has had her fair share of one-night stands and walks of shame. Part of the rich party girl lifestyle she left behind when she left New York.

She's never had much luck with relationships either, most of them better suited as short lived arm candy situations rather than a relationship that had any real substance. Relationships put in place to help influence, and gain leverage. Cheryl really was _HER_ first real girlfriend, partner in general, as well. While that thought should scare the crap out of her, however, knowing that Cheryl's on the same level is a reassuring fact.

She smiles to herself, forgetting Betty is there until her voice breaks Veronica from her thoughts. "What?" It's almost accusatory in tone, Betty wanting to know how this information has caused her to have that smug look on her face.

"Cheryl is my first _real_ relationship," Betty gives her a cocked eyebrow, silently refereeing to the other redhead she used to formally date. Veronica understands Betty's judgement and addresses her concern, "Archie aside, that didn't last long enough to go anywhere, that was merely physical. But with Cheryl," She pauses a moment to figure out her wording, he had so many thoughts and feelings running through her head, she wanted to get it right. "we talk all the time. And I'm not talking about everyday chatter, _REAL_ , deep, conversations. We express our feelings, fears, wants. I've never had someone I could be so open and honest with. And I think I'm the same for her, I hope. I don't know, I guess it's just a nice feeling, knowing that we're both in this on the same ground. We don't have to live up to people from our past, we can just be together, figuring it out with each other."

Betty is beaming, hearing her best friend talk about how happy she is made her happy in turn. "Sounds like what you guys have is really special." Her cheeks are beginning to hurt due to all the smiling she's done this morning.

Veronica blushes. "It really is." After a moment of silence, she adds, "I _REALLY_ like her B."

Betty smiles wide at this, she can't help but be transported back to that night at Pop's all those weeks ago when Veronica said those exact words to her, admitting her feelings for the first time. Back then, Veronica was so nervous and unsure of how to balance taking care of a recovering Cheryl and keeping her feelings at bay. Betty is so glad that she's no longer repressing her own feelings, much like Cheryl, and that things seemed to have worked out for the both of them. They've come a long way since that night, and an even longer way from that day they met. Veronica's right, Betty may have fallen for her former crushes' best friend, but Veronica fell for her greatest rival, and if that isn't a love story made for a tv teen drama, then what is?

 **A/N: Hello! I got a little meta there at the end, consider it me throwing shade at the Riverdale writers for not giving us the wlw story arc we deserve, don't even get me started on that shit they pulled last episode. Hope you enjoy this update, please help spread the word by sharing with friends. It's always very exciting to see new people find this story, I just want us to be one big old family! Let's talk cheronica/riverdale, shoot me/each other a message! Much love to you all! :)**


	36. Turning Heads

The rest of the day doesn't go by fast enough for Cheryl. Maybe it's her excitement for tonight's date causing the minutes to feel like hours. She's never felt so giddy in her life. Even when she had asked Veronica on a date, she had more hesitation than anything else. Her nerves consuming her for most of the day, fear sneaking its way into her mind. This time however, she couldn't be more ecstatic. Her girlfriend asked her out on a proper date, and this time they both know the intentions behind their evenings activities. There's no room for heartbreak, they both want this, there's no doubt about that.

While the day dragged on, it's not to say it was boring. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Cheryl had a field day watching people who were quite obviously watching her. Seeing people's reactions to her and Veronica walking down the hall hand in hand were quite hilarious. Sure, they had that infamous hallway kiss yesterday, but those who weren't actually there to witness the event had a hard time believing the validity of the situation.

However, now that the girls were walking the halls of Riverdale high, hand in hand, and not in the way some best friends do, but in an intimate way, fingers threaded together, shoulders brushing together because they couldn't possibly be standing any closer. It was all the confirmation the naysayers needed to believe the rumors that had been entrancing the student population since the day before.

Some people smiled at the pair, some did double takes unsure if what they were actually seeing only to confirm their suspicions on second glance, but most people looked on in shock, ranging from the typical furrowed eyebrow to the more enjoyable, to Cheryl's delight, dropped jaw. Altogether, the general consensus upon learning the news about the two girls upgrade in relationship status was surprise.

It's funny how someone who was once so concerned with how people would react to her being friends with Veronica and the gang, no longer cared what anyone thought. She's so happy with where she is in this weird new life she was blessed with, and the people she now has surrounding her, it didn't matter what people would say or think. No one was going to take away her newfound happiness.

Chemistry was a particularly fun part of the day Cheryl thought. She and Veronica would give each other side glances and cheeky smiles every few seconds. It was like they were children who shared a secret, quietly giggling with each other. They tried to be quiet since the class was a lecture style lesson today rather than a lab, but neither of them could control themselves. Veronica couldn't help but gasp anytime Cheryl raked her fingers across Veronica's thigh. She would quietly reprimand her, but then slip her hand in Cheryl's to keep the redhead in line. Veronica promised to take the notes this class period as long as Cheryl did it next time, that way they could keep their hands interlocked, hidden underneath the table from the teacher and other students. They already cause a lot of trouble in this class, much to the teacher's chagrin, but now that they were actually dating they would only cause more disruption.

Practice was also provided some much-needed entertainment for Cheryl. Veronica insisted they make a formal announcement addressing the rumors, so they could have a productive practice, rather than one filled with quiet whispers and girls staring, watching their every move. Cheryl agreed that it made sense, but she wasn't exactly gung-ho on the idea.

"Yes the rumor are true." Cheryl began as she gathered up the group of River Vixens who were milling about the gym waiting for practice to start. "Veronica and I are an item. Any questions?" She crossed her arms over her chest, staring down every vixen, daring them to speak.

Much to her surprise, one of the girls awkwardly half raised her hand after a moment, quite literally taking one for the team, by voicing the questions on all the other girls mind, but who are too timid to say anything. "Wha- I mean how..? Uhhh-" At least she _tried_.

Cheryl rolled her eyes before turning around as if to walk away, "ugh never mind let's get started."

Veronica had to grab Cheryl with both hands turning her around to face the team. She wrapped an arm around Cheryl's waist pulling her close into her side, while placing her other hand over Cheryl's abdomen. "I think what Cheryl means to say is, yes we are dating now, but that's not going to affect how we run things around here, so there's no need to worry." Her smile is enough to get Cheryl to relax a bit, flashing the team a quick smile before putting her game face back on. Just because she's crazy in love doesn't mean she's going soft on them…

Perhaps the most interesting reaction she saw today came from none other than Archie Andrews himself. He stopped her in the hallway just before lunch, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Hey Cher can I talk to you a minute?" She looks around to see if any if their other friends are around, but alas it was just him.

At first, she was a bit confused. For one thing, her and Archie never really spent much one on one time together, usually just hanging out in a group setting, so it was a little weird for him to be actively seeking her out. Also, only two people in Cheryl's life had ever called her Cher, one being Jason, and now Veronica. She should be annoyed he even dared utter that nickname, but there's something so genuine about Archie's charm that it honestly doesn't bother her that much.

"Umm sure Arch." She hits him back with a nickname, in effort to keep the conversation casual. She tepidly steps to the side so they aren't in the way of the lunch crowd traffic. She nervously adjusts the strap on her bag. She's not exactly sure what Archie had to say, but she figured it had to do with Veronica. Veronica said he took the news really well when she chatted with him the other day, but she was still hesitant about Archie wanting to talk to her specifically. She was starting to get worried.

"I just wanted to clear the air so things aren't awkward between us." Archie begins, Cheryl could tell he had some nervous energy as well, fidgeting a bit and not being able to stand still.

"It's ok if you hate me Archie, I understand." There's more bite to her words than usual, the venom in her voice reminiscent of the old days when they had unfriendly stand offs. She's not sure where that response came from, chalking it up to her natural defense instinct kicking in.

He looks a little taken aback by her outburst, it's a side to Cheryl he hasn't seen in weeks and if it weren't for the fact he knows she's just being extra defensive, he might have just turned around and walked away. "What? No, no" he protests, "I'm cool with you and Veronica. There's no hard feelings. I just wanted you to know that." The sincerity shown through his eyes, looking at her desperately pleading with her to believe him.

Cheryl sighed to herself, feeling bad about her overreaction and quick judgment. "You really are too good Archie, I don't know why I ever expected anything less."

He shied away in flattery for a moment before responding, "I just want you guys to be happy, and if Veronica's happier with you then that's all that matters." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Well I sure hope you're right Arch." She bows her head, a bit unsure of herself.

Archie reached forward to place a comforting hand on Cheryl's arm, "Hey I've seen the way she looks at you. I think it's safe to say you do."

She smiled sweetly at him, thankful for his kind words. There's also a slight hint of a blush across her cheeks that Archie smile warmly at. He was happy Cheryl found someone who made her feel that way, even if it was with his ex. "Hey don't forget that _YOU'RE_ my friend too. I'm always going to be rooting for you." He squeezes Cheryl's arm and flashes his signature goofy grin.

She tilted her head to the side, curiosity getting the best of her. "You always stood up for me, even when I was awful to you."

It's a statement, but the way she says it makes Archie respond to it like a question. "I like to believe there's good in everyone, and look, I wasn't wrong about you."

She laughed lightly at his point, "I wouldn't be so sure about that, but I appreciate the sentiment." She pursed her lips in an approving smirk.

Once again, he protested Cheryl's defeatist attitude. "Veronica wouldn't be head over heels for you if she didn't see the good in you too. Remember that." He winked after this, something that was out of character for the guy, but for some reason it felt so right in this situation. Cheryl couldn't help but smile brightly back at him. She nodded her head in acknowledgement, not knowing what to comment, but agreeable nonetheless.

And that was that, there was no animosity between the two despite their situation. No love triangle drama, no ill will for any party involved in said triangle. Everyone was genuinely happy for each other, perhaps that's a testament to their friendships which were built long before any romance was introduced. It was a surprisingly refreshing twist in events. Both Cheryl and Veronica couldn't be more appreciative of Archie's calmness and understanding, and Archie was just happy his friends were happy and also still his friends. There's nothing Archie values more than the relationships he builds with people, and he would hate for anyone, especially people as near and dear to him as Veronica and Cheryl, to feel like they can't be comfortable around him because of something as silly as a 'love triangle.'

Now that everyone had the opportunity to hash out their feelings, and communicated with each other, things were able to go back to normal as if nothing ever happened in the first place. It was an easy transition that the whole group, even Betty and Jughead, were grateful for. For Cheryl in particular, it was truly touching that all these people cared enough to not let this type of drama effect their relationships. She never had people who valued her in this way. It gave her such a fulfilling feeling knowing that no matter what crap life threw at them, they would be able to endure it together, because friends don't let friends fight alone. 

**A/N: Hello all! I wanted to get a quick update in before my work week starts, crazy hours this time of year! With that said I'd like to give a word of warning, and ask for your patience as things start to pick up in my life, work the holidays etc, my updates will most likely be slowing down. I promise I will do my best to keep the waits as short as possible, but I won't be able to guarantee an update every few days like I've been doing. I've never had a strict posting schedule, basically it was just me trying to post on every day off, or on the rare occasions I had a day shift, but I know how much it sucks to wait so I've always tried to be diligent. As always thank you so much to every one of you who reads, reviews, and shares this story. I am so overwhelmed in the best way over how big and special this story has become. I am truly thankful that y'all have been so nice, you make writing this story all the more exciting and fun! Please if you haven't, leave a comment, send me a message, share with a friend, hit that favorite button, go ahead! What's stopping you?! Much love!**


	37. The Drive

"Where are we going?" Cheryl asks from the passenger seat of Veronica's car, destination unknown. It must be at least the sixth time she's asked that question today. Her voice verging more and more upon whining each time. She couldn't handle not knowing what they were doing on their big do-over date, and every time Veronica shrugged off the question or changed the subject, Cheryl felt herself growing more anxious. Veronica had been particularly silent on the subject all day, not even revealing the details when Betty asked about it at lunch. The only bit of info Veronica was willing to reveal was the point to dress warm. When their car left Riverdale city limits Cheryl truly had no clue as to where they could be going, the options now endless.

Veronica lightly laughs at her girlfriend, amused by Cheryl's annoyance, "Babe, would you relax," she removes one hand from the steering wheel to reach across the center console, grabbing her girlfriend's hand, stoking her thumb across it gently, "it's a surprise." She repeats the words she's been saying all day. Each time Cheryl asked this question she replied with some form of dismissal ultimately chalking it up to wanting to surprise the girl with an evening of entertainment.

Fully expecting the same disgruntled response from the redhead she's been receiving all day, Veronica is happily surprised by Cheryl's actual reaction. The redhead beams at Veronica from her seat, causing the driver to shift her focus from the road to Cheryl then back to the road a few times. "What?" She asks with a large smile on her face, the way Cheryl was looking at her made her blush.

"I just like it when you call me babe." Cheryl replies nonchalantly with a cheeky smile. It's not the first time she's called Cheryl that, not even the first time today, yet every time she hears Veronica call her by the sweet nickname her heart soars and she gets this warm feeling all over. It's like any other emotion she may have been feeling at the moment melts away. Much like now, any annoyance she had at Veronica's secrecy disappeared, only feeling loved in a way she's been desperately searching for all her life.

Veronica squeezes Cheryl's hand, and she scrunches up her face to keep herself from smiling like an idiot, even though that face makes her look sillier than the smile would have. Cheryl lightly laughs at her. Veronica responds by pulling their conjoined hands to her face, so she can place a soft kiss on Cheryl's hand.

The redheaded passenger sighs in content, all her worry washed away. After a moment of contented silence, Cheryl turns her attention away from the window and to her girl, "I'm sorry, it doesn't really matter what we do or where we go, as long as I'm with you."

This time Veronica lets herself smile wide like an idiot, no sense in hiding how happy this girl makes her feel. "I'm glad to hear that." She can already tell her cheeks are gonna be sore from smiling so much by the end of the night.

"Could you at least tell me what town we're going to?" Cheryl tries once again to at least gain a little more information about their evening plans. She'll take anything she can get.

"No, that would give it away." Veronica denies the request, not skipping a beat.

Cheryl fake pouts, pulling her hand away to cross her arms over her chest in defiance. "You're infuriating." Veronica's cheeky grin just reveals she's enjoying getting a rise out of Cheryl.

"Hey, what happened to 'it doesn't matter where we go…'" Veronica uses air quotes around Cheryl's words, trailing off, not bothering to finish making her point. Cheryl gets it.

Cheryl sighs, turning in her seat to rest on her side so she can stare down the side of Veronica's head, "It doesn't, but that doesn't mean I still can't be annoyed by you're refusal to answer my question."

Veronica laughs, keeping her gaze focused on the road in front of them. "If it bothers you that much, then why do you keep asking it?"

"I thought if I wore you down, you'd just give up and tell me already. I'm not used to not being in control." It's supposed to be a fun argumentative point, but the way Cheryl says it reveals a more vulnerable insecurity behind her words.

"Oh babe," Veronica drags out the nickname, her voice sweet as can be, looking her direction, she shifts her focus between her girlfriend and the road, "I might be whipped, but I still have some sense of self control. I can't give you all the power." She playfully winks. It's true, when it came to Cheryl, Veronica was pretty much willing to do anything and everything for the girl. She knew this was toeing a dangerous line, which is why she strived to keep some of the control in their relationship.

Cheryl blushes upon hearing these words. She's very much used to having power over people, being the HBIC of Riverdale High directly lends to this dynamic. However, knowing she has this power over Veronica, the very same power Veronica has over her in terms of being able to make or break her heart, the power that scared her and prevented her from acting upon her feelings in the beginning, it was a comforting confrimation. It put them on the same playing field, something that is key to a good balance in a relationship where neither party is more important or more powerful. It was reassuring to Cheryl to know that she didn't have to worry about being too invested in a one-sided relationship. It was quite opposite, they were both very invested in a partnership, constantly letting each other know they are in this together…

They spend the almost hour-long drive singing along to the radio. It's no secret that Veronica loves to sing, she is an honorary Pussycat after all, but it's still always such a nice moment when Cheryl realizes how good Veronica's voice really is. Cheryl loves to sing too, but never considered herself to have a strong voice. Which is why her quiet harmonies compliment Veronica's boisterous vocals so well.

Singing along to cheesy love songs, Veronica would dramatically emote, as if she were singing directly to Cheryl, looking in her direction, pointing her way, kissing her hand at every instrumental break, emphasizing particular lyrics to show Cheryl how much she means to her. The redhead laughed and sang along, being equally as cheesy in turn. Singing together was quickly becoming one of Cheryl's favorite things to do with the raven-haired songstress. While she knows it's not, even if this was the extent of their evening plans, she would be content.

Another 15 minutes or so later, the car finally comes to a stop, Veronica having parallel parked on the side of a quiet city street. Cheryl is confused as to where exactly they are, she didn't pay much attention to the road signs on the way in to town, more focused on the driver herself, her smile, her laugh, the way her mouth moved with every note sung. She was transfixed and no longer cared about trying to decipher where their journey was taking them.

"Are you coming?" Veronica asks after opening the passenger door, her hand extended to help Cheryl from her seat. Cheryl, too distracted by the street signs, and the store fronts, trying to piece together their location with these little cues, didn't notice Veronica had even left the car. She accepts Veronica's hand and rises out of the car and into the cold evening air. She takes a moment to take in her surroundings, and after turning around she instantly recognizes where and why they are here…

 **A/N: Hey! The long awaited do-over date has begun! Sorry for the cliffhanger, I just wanted to get an update for you since it'll probably be a few more days before I get some good writing time, rather than making you wait longer for the whole thing I opted to break it up into scenes so you got a little something. As I mentioned in my previous author's note, things this time of year are getting crazy so my updates will be a little longer waits than usual. I ask for your patience as always. Any predictions for what the date is? Let me know! Thanks again for all the support! Much love! :)**


	38. Lights

Christmas lights.

During one of their many late-night conversations, tucked between Veronica's bed sheets, and usually each other's arms, Cheryl remembers admitting her fondness for the holiday season...

 _"You're turn." Cheryl pointed out as she popped another piece of candy into her mouth. It was around two in the morning, but the girls were wide awake. They had only been living together for a couple weeks at this point, and they still felt like strangers in a way. In order to familiarize themselves with the other, they made it a game to ask each other the most random questions._ __

 _Veronica hummed from her lower laying position, head resting on Cheryl's hip. Cheryl was lying on her side, head propped up with one arm, while she absentmindedly ran the fingers of her other through Veronica's hair. "Mmm, ok, what's your favorite holiday?" She giggled, it was middle of autumn, Thanksgiving was just around the corner, it felt like an appropriate time to learn which holiday Cheryl enjoyed most._ __

 _"Christmas for sure." Cheryl immediately replied, not skipping a beat. "It's so much more than a day. It's a season, a feeling. The whole month of December is one giant holiday full of warmth and love. Even my parents are less cruel this time of year. There's so much to enjoy about Christmas, but my favorite by far are the lights." She paused a moment, closing her eyes as if to imagine a wondrous light display, "this is gonna sound silly, but the feeling I get when seeing good Christmas lights, it's magical, no matter how old I am. I love it."…_ _  
_  
"You remembered." Cheryl softly coos as she turns back around, facing her girlfriend. She pulls her closer with the hand still held in Veronica's, so she can place a soft peck to Veronica's cheek.

"Of course, you spoke so passionately about it, how could I forget?" Veronica noted, recalling Cheryl's speech from all those weeks ago.

Cheryl knew exactly where they were once catching a glimpse of the famous light display just a couple blocks from where they parked, Fairview. A small developmental area that was almost three times larger than Riverdale, but still not big enough to be considered a major metropolis, however growing due to its proximity to the local university campus. It was about an hour drive from Riverdale itself, but its larger shopping selection made it a destination for the rural kids looking for a little bit more entertainment than the small confines of Riverdale could provide.

The city was known to have a grand light display this time of year in their city square. Cheryl's been to it a handful of those throughout her life, sibling bonding nights with Jason. It's been a few years since she last visited the town. Their teen years sequestered them at home and cooperate holiday dinner parties to help maintain the Blossom reputation, to keep up appearance. Especially, since the grooming process of her brother to take over the family business started.

She wonders how Veronica, who's only now spending her first winter in Riverdale even heard of this place, let alone knew about the lights. Veronica seems to read her mind as she continues her banter, "Betty's taken me shopping out here a few times, and thanks to a Google search of the area, I saw the fliers for the or Winter Wonderland." She shrugs her shoulders, indicating it wasn't really some elaborate planned out thing. She was just searching for somewhere to take her girl that wasn't Pop's diner.

"Well it's perfect regardless." Cheryl envelops Veronica in a tight hug to show her appreciation.

As Veronica pulls away she offers a suggestion, "I know you're dying to see the lights," she laughs as Cheryl's head turns around to look at the small portion of twinkling lights she can see from around the corner of buildings. "But there's a nice coffee shop just down here," Veronica points behind her, in the opposite direction of the lights. "I thought we could get some hot cocoa to help keep us warm on the walk." Her tone verges on questioning, the idea coming off more like a hopeful request.

It was a mild night for this time of year, but too cold, but a heavy coat, scarf and gloves were much appreciated. As long as the wind didn't pick up, they could probably spend hours in the weather before really needing to take cover. It was still early, only six in the evening. Though the sun sets so early this time of year, it felt like ten. Veronica didn't have anything else planned for the evening besides cocoa and taking a nice stroll through the Christmas lights. She wasn't sure how long they'd be out, but figured they could always return home for a movie and cuddling, or perhaps something a little more PG-13.

Cheryl nods excitedly in agreement, interlacing their gloved fingers and taking off in the direction to the cafe. The walk was short, the shop just on the corner of the block where they parked. Once there, Veronica opened the door for Cheryl to walk through first, a curt 'after you' motion and all.

"Such manners." Cheryl teases, hand over her heart.

Veronica merely smiles cheekily in turn briefly before looking up at the large chalkboard menu hanging on the wall behind the counter. "Anything you want, it's on me tonight."

After a moment of indecision, the girls make their way to the counter to place their order, two large hot cocoas to go and a couple pastries for later. Veronica accepts the bag of sweets from the barista and places them carefully in her purse, not wanting to smash the flaky dough. Once their drinks are ready, they redress their scarves and gloves before leaving the warmth of the shop, entering the cool winter air.

"This was a great idea." Cheryl hums after taking a sip of the drink in her right hand, her left wrapped tightly around Veronica's arm.

Veronica looks over at her girlfriend to find some whipped cream lingering above Cheryl's top lip. She pulls her in for a kiss, effectively removing the cream in the process. She licks her lips when they part, both girls giggling at how cliché the whole thing was, "a very good idea."

The walk to the park is longer, but still only a couple short blocks away. The closer they got to the shimmering lights, the giddier Cheryl became. She was practically bouncing with excitement as they rounded the corner and the full light display came into view. Stopping in their tracks to take it all in from the distance.

Veronica was impressed by the show, lights adorning every tree, building, street sign in the area. Every inch of the large courtyard of benches, pavilions, and walking paths adorned with lights of all colors and shapes. She understands why it was described as a 'field of wondrous light' on the fliers she found online this morning. While the sight if the lights themselves was awe-inspiring itself, the sight of Cheryl taking in the display was even more magical to Veronica.

The redhead stared at the lights, scanning every strand, every bulb, the changing colors of flashing lights reflecting in her eyes. In that moment Veronica could visibly see that magical feeling Cheryl described all that time ago in her bedroom. It was tangible, and she felt it too, except her joy didn't stem from the lights, but from Cheryl herself.

She barely breaks the silence with a breathy whisper, "I was right you know."

Cheryl looks to the girl next to her, eyes breaking from the display in front of them for the first time. She looks confused, had she missed something Veronica said, too enamored by the sight in from of her, she hadn't heard her speaking next to her…

 _"I tend to get lost in the beauty of Christmas lights, I could probably stare at them for hours." Cheryl ended her monologue of an answer. She hadn't realized how long she had been talking, bet Veronica wasn't expecting that answer when she first asked the question. She was a bit embarrassed by her rambling, she intended to ask Veronica a question to abruptly change the subject but before she got the chance, Veronica chimed in with a soft smile, "I bet you look beautiful bathed under twinkling lights."_ __

 _It's a casual, yet telling admission that causes both girls to blush, for very different reasons. Veronica embarrassed, thinking she'd crossed a line, that wasn't a fun flirty statement they often shared. It was an veritable truth that Veronica felt so deeply within herself that when cast under Cheryl's spell, let loose, a Freudian slip. Cheryl blushed due to her own hidden feelings for the girl resting on her hip. The words bringing a rush of warmth to her heart and a tingling feeling throughout her body…_ _  
_  
Veronica reiterates the statement she let slip, taking her now girlfriend in her arms, fingers lightly tracing over the spots of colors that danced over her skin as the lights flickered in the background. Cheryl once again blushes at these words, although unnoticeable due to the shadow, the heat underneath Veronica's fingers ultimately speaking the truth. Cheryl snakes her arms around Veronica's neck. They meet in the middle, both girls aching for the feeling of the other's lips on theirs. Veronica moves her hands so they are now both holding on to Cheryl's face, she curls the fingers of her right hand back behind the redhead's ear, nails tickling the back of her neck. She moves her fingers in rhythm with her lips, a dance carefully choreographed, she takes Cheryl's bottom lip between her own, teeth gently nipping at the soft flesh. Cheryl lightly moans at this and the girls break out in laughter. Veronica releases Cheryl's lips, their noses and lips grazing all over each other's faces, as they giggle together, Veronica pulls back just enough to lean her forehead against Cheryl's. They stay there like that for a moment, their laughter slowly dying down. Once the moment passes Veronica speaks up, "Shall we?" She held out her arm as offering, which Cheryl gratefully accepted, and the two made their way through the square, ready for the excitement of tonight to continue.


	39. Mistletoe

Veronica finishes her hot chocolate too fast. She's lucky she didn't spill any of it for one thing, back when she took Cheryl into her arms for their mini make out on the corner. That would have put a damper on the night, Veronica staining Cheryl's white petticoat with the burning liquid. Regardless, her cup was empty, and she was starting to miss the warmth the liquid gave her lips. Perhaps there's another activity that could remedy that, Veronica thought.

They spent almost an hour walking through the park, Cheryl taking in each and every sight with hungry eyes. Too distracted by the lights, Cheryl had barely drunk any of her coca, over half the contents remained slowly growing cold. It's not until they pass a trash can where Veronica throws her empty cup away, that she remembers she has one as well. She offers it to her girlfriend, because she knows how much Veronica loves the cold weather drink. "Share?" Veronica smiles a cheeky grin before accepting the cup with her free hand, the other tangled within Cheryl's.

Cheryl tells stories of Christmases from her childhood as they walk along the display, recalling fondly the times Jason and her would spend decorating their rooms together. Along with the stories of them sneaking out to explore the surrounding towns, searching for the best light display in the area once they turned 16. She had many fond memories of Christmas time with her family, despite her parents less than nurturing nature. Around the holidays they always made the extra effort to be a happy family, it wasn't until Cheryl was older that she realized they were merely doing it to keep up appearances, hosting the annual Blossom family dinner, the annual business charity fundraiser, all the events and activities were just a cleaver way to retain their social image. At least she always had Jason by her side to grin and bear it with her, that was until now.

It's a bit sobering for Cheryl to realize this was not only the first Christmas she'd spend without her twin, but also the first one she wouldn't spend at Thornhill, with what remains of her broken family. The thought brings a frown to her face for the first time this entire evening, one which Veronica notices immediately. As Cheryl explains her dismay, Veronica pulls her closer into her side. She doesn't let Cheryl dwell on the sad feeling by reassuring her they can spend Christmas together, and create their own traditions. It's a future Cheryl wishes for.

When they come upon a bench located near the center of the light display, they take the opportunity to sit a moment, and take it all in. "Veronica, this is truly the best date I've ever been on." Cheryl admits, placing a gentle kiss on Veronica's cheek.

"I'm glad you're having fun. I felt so bad for ruining our first date, I hope this makes up for it." There's a hint of guilt in her voice upon admitting this, and the way she smiles at Cheryl, as if asking for confirmation, reflects her disposition.

"You didn't ruin it on purpose. I should've been more straight forward with my intentions. I'm just glad we finally ended up here." She gestures to their conjoined hands, fingers interlaced. She leans into Veronica's side, resting her head on her shoulder. In a swift movement Veronica maneuvers her arm around Cheryl's shoulders pulling her in closer, while talking her hand again within her lap with other one.

They sit in silence for a long time, just relishing in being together, taking in all the lights around them. It's like they were in the middle of a magical mess of colors. The flickering bulbs casting off a whirlwind of light, dancing to the soft music that played from small speakers throughout the display. It truly was magical. Veronica was starting to understand the feeling Cheryl so animatedly described way back when.

It's not until Cheryl's toes grow cold, either girl suggests they keep moving, hoping the blood flow would warm them back up. There was still plenty of park to explore, displays to discover, and Cheryl was determined to see all of it, no matter how long it takes.

After walking for a couple minutes Cheryl stops dead in her tracks. She pulls Veronica into her, wrapping her arms around her waist. The redhead captures Veronica's lips with her own in an abrupt transition that confuses Veronica, who definitely doesn't complain, going along with it nevertheless.

"Mistletoe." Cheryl points out, her finger extended above them. Veronica looks up to see the aforementioned plant hanging from the lighted arch above them. She hums, "If you're gonna kiss me like that, I might have to start carrying some mistletoe around with me." Cheryl laughs heartily at Veronica's words, and pulls her in by the collar for more.

It's like everything around them disappeared in that moment. The lights engulfing them in an incredible warmth. The music just a distant hum, lulling them in a languid rhythm. Veronica felt like she could kiss Cheryl forever, content by the pressure of her lips, the tingling sensation of her fingers on her cheek. Nothing could top the high she felt in this moment.

When they finally part, Cheryl whispers teasingly, "This is just the beginning." It was a reminder. Cheryl has to remind herself a lot of that fact. It was only the beginning. They've only been officially dating for two days! It's crazy how much has happened in these last couple days. How committed she has become over the course of these past couple months. There was such a quick progression of their relationship over these past few weeks, now it was time to slow down and enjoy it. However, that didn't stop Cheryl from feeling the way she did. She loves Veronica, and despite it being so early in their official relationship as a couple, she still felt it all the same.

Resisting the urge to say those three words to Veronica became increasingly difficult as the date went on. Every second spent with the raven-haired beauty reaffirming her feelings tenfold. This date was perfect, she was so elated by the fact that Veronica paid so much attention to some silly conversation they had over a month ago. It was so sweet, _she_ was so sweet. Veronica made it a challenge to keep herself from giving in and revealing her true feelings, and for a minute she thought to hell with it, deciding to throw caution into the wind. She thought she was going to say it. And looking back she wishes that's really what happened...

 **A/N: Hello, so this is a short set up for the next chapter, a transition of sorts. I hope the cliffhanger isn't too bothersome, hope to have the next update soon so the wait shouldn't be too long. I posted a Cheronica proposal imagine to my Cheronica Drabbles fic, also posted on this site, so go check that out if you're interested! Thanks again for all the support, don't forget to share with your Riverdale friends!**


	40. Perfect

_She thought she was going to say it. And looking back she wishes that's really what happened..._

"I..." _I love you_ , it's what she wanted to say. What she was going to say, but a child screaming in the background distracted her, she looks up, beyond Veronica's shoulder toward the direction of the noise..."I...I-uh" the sight of the cause of said child's yell broke her concentration. She couldn't help but be mesmerized by the image. Veronica must not of heard this commotion as she just blankly stared at her girlfriend, waiting on her every word, albeit slightly confused by the stuttering.

"I-I" is all Cheryl could manage to say, stuttering, the other two words lost from her mind. When she finally manages to utter a different syllable it comes out strained, her breathing rapidly increasing. "I...ice." It's an almost indecipherable whisper. Veronica's brows knit in confusion and concern is painted over all her features. She's unsure of what exactly it is Cheryl just said. It's not until she turns around, to look in the direction of Cheryl's line of site that it finally registers, _ice_.

Off in the distance there is an ice skating rink, it's far enough away she didn't notice it earlier as they were walking through the park, but it's close enough now that she's tuned into it she can hear the commotion from the rink, Christmas music playing over the loudspeakers, people laughing as others chase them around the rink, a child crying after a nasty fall. She understands now, that that must be the source of her distraction, the child crying, surly Cheryl who was facing the rink witnessed the fall and was overcome with a rush of emotions, a reminder of her fall through the ice of Sweetwater River.

Cheryl was starting to hyperventilate much like that evening at Pop's almost immediately following Cheryl's suicide attempt. It's the first time she's had a panic attack in weeks. The last one triggered by a bad dream involving the events at the river and something about a zombie Jason. Veronica didn't ask for details, instead jumping right into protective mode, much like she is now.

Veronica went about her usual routine to calm Cheryl down. First, wrapping an arm around her to create contact without smothering her altogether. Second, whispering calm reassuring sentiments in her ear reminding her to breathe. "Babe, focus on my voice, can you slow your breathing for me?" She counts aloud to develop a rhythm. She ushers them along, walking the way they came from to return to the bench they were sitting at earlier. "Let's go find a place to sit. Just keep focusing on your breaths babe." Cheryl manages to nod through her shaking.

Cheryl feels powerless. A moment that was supposed to be a happy milestone in their relationship ruined by an unexpected panic attack. Maybe it was a sign, Cheryl thought, it _was_ too soon to say those words. She debated whether or not to even say them in the first place, but the moment felt so right, and who's to say when the _right_ time really is? It's different for every couple, for every person really. And in that moment she felt ready, maybe it was the magic of the lights, how beautiful Veronica looked under that mistletoe with her signature smirk that causes her whole face to scrunch up in the most adorable way, or the hot chocolate Veronica definitely spiked when they reached their car again on the walk to the park. Regardless, Cheryl planned to say those three words, and instead all she could mutter was a stuttered 'I' before freaking out. She was beyond embarrassed.

Upon first seeing the ice rink, Cheryl went into a state of shock. She was transported back to that day on the surface of the freshly iced over Sweetwater River. Her emotional state that day was all over the place, much like it was now. She was calm that morning, feeling her decision to end it all was the ultimate saving grace. It was the way to end all her pain, and to be reunited with the only person who truly cared about her. She was content. It wasn't until she started breaking that ice that the emotions overcame her. It was overwhelming, the doubt slowly creeping its way into the forefront of her mind. But it was too late to back out, she couldn't, she was determined to continue regardless of the small voice in her head telling her not to. As the tears ran down her face, she secretly hoped something, or someone would be her saving grace. That silent prayer was answered in the form of Archie and the gang. It was Veronica's voice pleading from the bank of the river that ultimately got her to finally listen to that voice of reasoning within her begging her not to follow through with what she was trying to do. They were successful, she changed her mind, she wanted to live, but the ice had other plans.

The memory of the feeling of the ice breaking underneath her washes over her body like the water did that day. The fear, the panic, the pain, everything was coming back to her mind and in response her body shut down. She felt herself slump in Veronica's arm. Her breathing becoming harder and harder to grasp. She tried her best to be present, listening to Veronica's voice, slowly moving her legs as they began their track back to the bench they left moments earlier. It took all her energy to focus on what was happening now, rather than the memories that haunted her…

It's not long before they reach the bench they left a few minutes ago. Veronica settles into the arm of the bench and brings Cheryl down to sit next to her where she can rest into her side. Veronica's arm wraps around Cheryl's shoulder. "That's it, you're doing great." She encourages her girlfriend whose breathing has vastly improved, but is still irregular.

Cheryl's heart rate is still high, but now that her breathing is under control she can feel it dropping. Cheryl feels weak, her muscles tight. She rests her head on Veronica's shoulder, the action more like her collapsing than snuggling. She closes her eyes, breathing in deeply through her nose. When she exhales, she feels relieved, but so frail she doesn't have the energy to move. Veronica tightens her arm around Cheryl and brings the other one around to wrap around the girl's stomach. "There you go. Relax." She places a kiss to the top of Cheryl's head. "I've got you, just relax." Her voice is calming, and under different circumstances listening to her girlfriend like this would have lulled Cheryl to sleep.

They sit in silence for a few minutes. Veronica could tell Cheryl was crying, but trying not to show it, so She decided to ignore her urge to wipe away the tears. She pretended she wasn't privy to Cheryl's quiet sighs. Instead she just holds Cheryl tight and rubs soothing patterns over her arm. She'll talk when she's ready, right now Cheryl needs to process, and Veronica would only cause more damage than good by trying to stop it.

"This time I ruined our date." Cheryl whispers, still feeling too weak to move. "I'm sorry." She sounds defeated, and the small sniffle at the end only made it more heartbreaking.

"Stop" Veronica slightly urges, she doesn't want Cheryl beating herself up over having a typical reaction to something so triggering. She doesn't have to apologize for anything. "you didn't ruin the evening." She assures with a tight squeeze. She cranes her neck downward, so she can try to catch sight of her girlfriend's face.

Cheryl won't let herself off the hook so easily, "Right cause having a panic attack is the epitome of romance." She dejects.

"Hey," This time Veronica uses a much lighter tine, in effort to steer this conversation into a positive one. She shrugs upward the shoulder Cheryl's laying on, causing the girl to finally sit up a bit, lifting her head to look at Veronica. "don't worry about it."

Cheryl still looks unsure, but Veronica just gives her a glare that dares her to fight back anymore and this evening really will be ruined. "You're too kind, you know that."

Veronica understands where Cheryl is coming from, but she doesn't want her to pit her on this pedestal, and think she's this perfect understanding person. She's far from perfect, she's come a long way since her New York days, but she still has plenty of skeletons in her own closet. Cheryl needs to know that. "Look, you're not the only one with issues ok." Veronica takes hold of Cheryl's hand, her other arm still loosely draped around her shoulders. "I've got plenty of my own demons, and I can guarantee you're gonna see them one day. We'll just need to work together to help each other out from time to time." Veronica looks at her girlfriend almost pleadingly, silently asking her to let go of this perfect mental image she has of herself.

Cheryl seems to understand what Veronica was getting at, and she lets out a small sigh before starting her own confession. "I'm sorry. I guess sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you. You're so perf-" Veronica gives her a pointed look, reminding her to not use that word, Cheryl nods an apology before picking a different adjective. "So caring and generous. Two things I have severely lacked in my personal life, you know, you've met my parents."

Veronica shudders at the statement, she couldn't help but think about that awkward family dinner at Thornhill where both Clifford and Penelope tore into their daughter, their only remaining child, and on the eve of their son's funeral. That was just the first glimpse into Cheryl's home life that made Veronica start to understand where her hostility came from. Then the memory of the last time she saw Penelope came to mind, how she dared place her hand on Cheryl. Witnessing that kind of abuse really opened her eyes, Veronica knew there was much more anger, sadness, and most of all fear, behind that confident facade she shows off to the students at Riverdale High. It was then that she started to understand the severity of her role as a positive light in Cheryl's life.

"I guess I just don't know how to handle someone being so genuine with me. I've never really known anything other than malicious, manipulative people who only saw me as a complication or an exploit of some sort. I feel like I'm rambling, I just didn't realize how much this whole situation still affects me. I've been so blissfully distracted, I haven't properly confronted all my feelings about that day at the river."

Veronica looks downtrodden, eyes cast aside, her voice is sullen. "Maybe that's my mistake for getting in your way-"

"No!" Cheryl quickly cuts her off, "please don't blame yourself. You, you helped me in so many ways," she's quick to reassure Veronica that she doesn't view Veronica as someone who somehow impeded her progress. "distraction isn't the right word. I guess I mean, I haven't allowed myself to process because I'm too scared to relive those memories. Look, just seeing ice brought back all those painful images. I thought if I ignored it, I could just move on, that one day I would forget. Silly of me to think those feelings would just disappear." She falls back against the bench and Veronica's arm. It's silent for a moment.

Veronica searching for the right words to say, she instead chooses to change topic a bit, "Can I tell you a story?" Cheryl looks up at Veronica, intrigue in her eyes. Veronica smiles softly before continuing her train of thought. "I used to love ice skating. Every year my father and I would go to Rockefeller center to skate under the giant tree." She rolls her eyes, "I know it's such a touristy thing to do, but maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much, seeing all the people who were visiting the city take in the sight, and the experience, that I think a lot of us locals take for granted." She pauses to reflect on the last time she went skating, recalling the feeling so she could describe it just right. "it's a humbling moment, there's this feeling, a rush. I imagine it's a similar sensation when you see the lights, a magical feeling that just radiates joy."

She pauses again, her face becoming clouded with sorrow, the wide smile she just had faltering. "However, tonight, when I saw that rink, just like you, I was transported back to that day on the banks of the river. I saw you crash through the surface, I relived every heartbreaking moment, except this time, the pain was even more excruciating than it was that day. And you know why?" She pauses even though it's posed as a rhetorical question, she can feel her voice growing shaky and tries to calm down before continuing, it doesn't work, as the tears begin to fall. "Because, I can't help but think, if you were successful in your intentions, I wouldn't have come to know you as a person, as a friend, I would've missed out on this," She takes Cheryl's hand in her own, "on us," and holds it to her heart, "our love story never would've come to light. And maybe I'm being selfish, but knowing what I know now, in hindsight, that moment gets more and more painful with each passing day. Then I remember, if that's how bad I feel, how could you possibly move on? And yet you do, and every day I'm inspired by your courage to face the day. You're helping me cope and you don't even know it."

By the end of Veronica's heartfelt speech, Cheryl has tears in her eyes too. She reaches up to wipe away one of Veronica's tears and caresses her face, thumb gliding over wet cheek. "You never told me you were struggling."

"Because I thought it was more important to be strong for you, and I see now that maybe I should've just been honest, so we could help each other more explicitly. Our pasts are always going to linger, there's no changing it, but what we can do is help each other move forward, to deal with the emotions in a healthy way. So that one day," Veronica pulls Cheryl closer into her side, with a warm smile followed by a subtle lip bite, "years from now," she pauses for a long beat before continuing, "maybe, I can take you ice skating at Rockefeller, so you can experience my favorite holiday activity." She cocks her head to the side, staring intently at her girlfriend who blushes in her arms.

"Is that a date?" Cheryl tries to contain a large smile by biting her bottom lip.

"Mark your calendar." Veronica winks, and just like that all the heaviness that surrounded them moments ago has dissipated, replaced by a fun flirty atmosphere.

"I, uh, there's something I-" Cheryl remembers what started this whole mess, I love you, three words she still hasn't said despite her urge to do so. She debates whether she should or take the interruption as a chance to back out, they've already said enough meaningful things for one evening. Maybe it was best to save that for a different time. She bites her tongue, actually feeling content with the way things went down this evening, while it may not have been the 'perfect' first date/do over first date, it sure was special, and that's all that really mattered to Cheryl. "You know what, I think I'm ready to go home." Cheryl opts out, the night was still relatively young, "Maybe put on a movie before bed, and not watch it..."

Veronica hums happily in agreement, "That sounds like the perfect end to a perfect," she holds her hand up to stop Cheryl's protest, "yes, perfect date." Their lips meet for an affectionate kiss. Cheryl curls her hand around the material of Veronica's coat, trying to pull her closer. Veronica pulls back to add one more request, "Can we get some more cocoa to go? It's a long drive back to podunck usa."

Cheryl heartily laughs, pulling Veronica in for another kiss, "of course."

 **A/N: HEY! Chapter 40! This is so crazy! I can't believe this fic has sustained this long, thank you so so much to all of you who read, comment, and share this story. It's because of you that I keep writing, so please keep spreading the word and sharing the love! I hope this chapter was worth the wait, I know that cliffhanger was a tad annoying. This is one of my favorite chapters to date, and I'm very excited to hear your thoughts, so please write a comment, message me on tumblr (iwouldneverleaveher), anything! I want to talk to all of you wonderful people! Thanks again for all the support, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	41. Double

******A/N: Another short time jump, this chapter takes place 2 weeks after the events from last chapter, set up for next chapter.**

"Its been two weeks?!" Betty whines as she follows a retreating Veronica down the hall, books in hand. "You can't use that honeymoon phase excuse anymore." Betty pleas as she finally catches up to her best friend, grabbing her by the arm. "You've been on like 9 dates now."

Two weeks had passed since Veronica took Cheryl out on their do-over date, and Betty has been hounding her about going on a double with her and Jug ever since. Veronica keeps giving her the generic 'we just started dating, give us some time to ourselves' excuse, while that may have been true, her main reasoning for denying the request was due to Cheryl's reluctance. Veronica knew her girlfriend wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of a double date, so she's been trying to get Betty to back off, a tactic that obviously wasn't working so well. Veronica herself didn't have an opposition to the proposal, in fact she thought it could be pretty fun, but she didn't want to force Cheryl into doing something she wasn't uncomfortable with. It was just a double date, she didn't understand either girl's feelings behind the whole thing, Cheryl's reluctance, or Betty's insistence. Why it was being treated as if it was some huge deal, Veronica just couldn't wrap her mind around it.

"Plus you live together!" Betty continues on her argument. She wasn't going to let Veronica walk away, shrugging it off this time. She is determined to make this happen. "You can't possibly need any more alone time. All I'm asking is one evening." Betty realizes she might have been making this a larger problem than it really needed to be, but Veronica's indifference hasn't helped resolve it either. If she had just accepted the invitation when she first brought it up a week ago, Betty wouldn't be practically begging her now.

"Ugh fine I'll talk to Cheryl about it." Veronica finally gives in, huffing a large sigh. Betty instantly perked up, ready to start clapping in victory, Veronica holds up a stern finger, "Ah-I suggest you talk to your S/O because something tells me he's not too gung-ho about this idea either." Betty really was the only advocate for this plan to begin with, if she wanted to make it happen she needed to convince her boyfriend to get on board as well.

"Jug's fine," Betty waves a dismissive hand. "he'll go along with it to make me happy, just like Cheryl will do for you. She's whipped you know." She bows her head with an accompanying eyebrow cock to reinforce the truth to her statement.

Veronica smirks for a second, Betty was right, but there's another side to that point that Betty forgets, "So am I, which is why I'm having reservations about this whole thing. Cheryl's not stoked on the idea."

Betty lets out an overdramatic sigh, "Oh my God, why do you all think this is going to be some weird, awkward thing? We're all friends, we hang out _ALL_ the time, the only thing that's that different is Archie won't be there." Fair point Veronica thinks.

She tries to look at it from Cheryl's perspective, why would she object to the idea of them all hanging out, Veronica can only come up with a vague reason. "I know, you're right. It's just when you put a label on it, it starts to carry a weight, I guess. Look at every chick flick that has a double date, they always think it's going to be a good idea, but then it always goes south. Why are _you_ so insistent in this happening?" Veronica flips the tables on her, trying to understand why this was so important to Betty in the first place.

A calm overcomes Betty who stops in her tracks, she pulls Veronica to the side of the busy hall so as to not impede any traffic. She gets quiet, a nervous energy surrounds them as she fiddles with the bag strap slung over her shoulder. "Because, I've never really had a girl best friend. I grew up with Archie and Jug, and while I'm not complaining because they are the sweetest, but there's things, traditions you look forward to that you need a girlfriend for. And my sister was never too keen on spending the time with me, especially not after she started dating Jason. I guess I'm just excited that I finally have the opportunity to experience some of those, with my best friend, you." Betty softly squeezes Veronica's arm and gives her a crooked smile.

Veronica softens at this, finally understanding the importance this date holds for her best friend. "That makes sense." She smiles back before adding, "I'll talk to Cheryl, I promise."

Betty visibly relaxes and envelops Veronica in a tight hug, "Thank you." Veronica mumbles a welcome as best she can, given the fact Betty was squeezing the air out of her lungs. Betty hears the rasp in Veronica's voice and lets go instantly, coyly apologizing. They continue their walk to English to begin the school day. Veronica would spend the hour, figuring out how she was going to convince Cheryl to agree to a double…

"Hey babe!" Cheryl cheerfully greets, pulling her girlfriend in for a quick kiss before closing her locker, giving Veronica her full attention. "How's my girl doing?"

Veronica leans against the locker in a huff, "Good, I'd be better if Betty wasn't breathing down my neck about this double date business."

"She's still on that? You know I don't want to, neither does Jug."

Veronica stands up a bit, leaning closer to Cheryl. "I know, but it's really not that different than us just all hanging out. Why is it such an issue for you?" She pries, maybe if she can figure out why Cheryl is so adverse to the idea, she can convince her it's not the end of the world.

Cheryl shrugs, "I'm just not comfortable being romantic around others."

Veronica scoffs laughing at this, she's not sure if she's more amused by how ridiculous her excuse is, or angered by how weak it is. "Are you kidding? You're like the queen of PDA. You can hardly keep your hands, and your lips, off me, even at school!" Cheryl and Veronica were very much _THAT_ couple that annoyed the student body because they were constantly engaging in some form of physical affection, kissing, holding hands, sitting on each other's laps, all of it, sometimes all at the same time. Cheryl's suggestion that she doesn't like being 'romantic' around others was comical, and Veronica couldn't stop laughing.

Cheryl playfully hits Veronica's shoulder to get her to stop, "I don't mean _physical_ affection, I'm talking about being vulnerable, I don't like to share that side with others."

Veronica understands Cheryl's hesitation. She's been through a lot these past few months, and she's had a hard time adjusting to people seeing her in a different light than what she's been used to all her life. She's finally regained some sense of self, and Cheryl probably doesn't want to mess that up. Veronica pulls her into her side as they begin the walk to class. "Then don't treat it like a date, were just hanging out with our friends. Not every date has to be some grand and meaningful event, it can just be a relaxed evening."

Cheryl still looks skeptical, and Veronica senses the tension. "I promise it won't be as bad as you're making it out to be, I'll be there the whole time, and we can always leave early if you're getting too uncomfortable."

Cheryl sighs in defeat, "Alright, but as soon as Betty suggests some cringeworthy activity, we counter with a normal dinner date." She adds, not wanting to stress over some crazy event. If she was going to go along with this double date, then it needed to be as tame as possible, because she's not prepared for anything else. 

**A/N: Hey all! I hope y'all had a wonderful holiday for those who celebrate, and for those who don't hope y'all had a great day too! I wanted to do another short time jump to propel this story forward a bit, I'm excited for the arc I have planned next, but first I need to get this double date stuff taken care of since I teased it so much in previous chapters. Hope you enjoyed this short update, I'm hoping to be able to post again in a few days. I already have the next chapter started so fingers crossed nothing crazy happens that prevents me from finishing it! Thanks so much for all the continued support, please hit that like button if you enjoyed the chapter, leave me a comment with what you're excited to see, where you think this story is headed, why you love cheronica, anything! I love talking to you so hit me up!**


	42. Double Pt 2

"This is the exact definition of cringeworthy, Ronn." Cheryl let out a frustrated sigh as they pulled up to the venue of tonight's double date with Betty and Jughead. When she finally agreed to go on this stupid thing yesterday, she told Veronica just a simple dinner would suffice. _THIS_ was not that. She should have known something was up when Veronica wouldn't tell her where they were going in the first place, she just assumed her girlfriend was just in the dark as she was, given that Betty was driving the lead car.

"Just humor her," Veronica understands Cheryl's hesitation, but lays an assuring hand on her arm to get her to relax. When Cheryl looks at her with an annoyed glint in her eye Veronica changes tune, "ok humor ME?" It's too late to back out now, and she wasn't about to put up with a mopey Cheryl all evening. Veronica had to convince her girlfriend to play nice, or else tonight would be a disaster, for everyone involved.

"You think I'm gonna wear those gross shoes?" Cheryl scoffs as she looks up at the building in front of them, a neon sign displaying the words Hi-Top Bowl hanging above them. A bowling alley, while perfectly Riverdale, was not somewhere Cheryl wanted to spend her evening. She can't recall the last time she went bowling, no doubt a elementary school field trip, she'd never willingly go to a bowling alley of her own accord, and certainly her parents would never allow it even if she wanted to.

"You think I'm crazy about that either?" Veronica rebuts, they're both high fashion girls, and sweaty old bowling shoes definitely weren't up to her standard either. She reaches into her bag, "just wear these socks and it'll be fine."

Cheryl doesn't even reach for the socks Veronica holds up between them, instead recoiling as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Wait, you knew this is what we were doing?" She assumed she was just blindly following Betty's car. This confirmation feels like a betrayl.

"No," Cheryl shoots her down with a hard stare. Veronica cracks under the pressure. "maybe. I'm sorry, you know how Betty gets." When Betty has a plan it's almost impossible to talk her out of it. She has for a vision for how things are supposed to go and everyone else has to play along.

Cheryl pouts a bit, "I'm starting to think you're more whipped for Betty than you are for me."

"You know that's not true." Veronica leans over the console that separates them as best she can to wrap her fingers around Cheryl's ear, tucking back her hair and gently massaging the back of her neck. It's a comforting gesture that Veronica knows Cheryl loves. She softens her voice, her tone edging on pleading, "Stop trying to pick a fight, don't think I don't know what you're doing." She knows while Cheryl might be annoyed, she's not actually mad, she's just trying to use this as an excuse to get out of their plans. Veronica wasn't going to let her squirm out of it so easy. "Please, just try to enjoy the evening, for me?" While this double date may have been Betty's idea originally, she has to admit, the thought of the four of them being able to spend a nice evening together has grown on Veronica, her indifferent stance has slowly been replaced by excitement. She just wishes some of that would rub off on Cheryl.

Cheryl is silent for a moment, but her strong exterior slowly falters as Veronica gives her the sweetest puppy dog eyed look, her fingers still drumming at the base of her neck. She wants to reach out and kiss her, but she's still upset Veronica didn't fight harder to change venues. She pulls back reluctantly grumbling, "You owe me for this."

A wave of relief washes over Veronica as she unbuckles her seatbelt. "And I promise I'll make it up to you," she looks to her girlfriend who is still huffing in the corner, "so long as you behave." She warns, earning a lazy eye roll from Cheryl who also unbuckles her belt and emerges from the car. It's gonna be a long night, Cheryl thinks…

"So, what'd she say to convince you to agree to this thing?" Jughead asks Cheryl as he walks up behind her, motioning to the raven-haired girl standing near the counter. Betty racing toward Veronica the moment they entered the door, leaving the two of them standing by the wayside as the girls went on to reserve a lane.

"A promise of 'making it up' to me. You?" Cheryl passively touts using air quotes around Veronica's words.

Jughead hums in response, "Pretty much the same." Neither of them were thrilled to be here, both being reluctant to the proposal of a double date to begin with. While they knew it was inevitable, they wanted to prolong the event as much as possible, and much to their shared dismay, their time was up.

"We're making this too big a deal aren't we?" Jug asks as he watches Betty and Veronica happily chatting as they wait for the counter clerk to get them shoes.

"Probably," Cheryl sighs in defeat, looking at her girlfriend smiling and laughing with Betty in the distance, she turns toward Jughead holding up a finger in opposition to that admission, "but don't tell Veronica that." She knows this evening, while being more important to Betty than anyone, was still something Veronica was looking forward to, she feels she should suck it up if only for her girlfriend's benefit.

It seems Jughead was thinking the same thing as he turns toward Cheryl with a proposition, "in effort to make this night a bit less lame than we're imagining it, how about we agree to not be so..." he pauses looking for the right word, "us" he settles on. It's an apt description if not vague.

They do have the tendency to be the downers of the group, but that they can't help it, they just tend to see things in a more realistic sight that can make some of the little things harder to enjoy once you think about it. Maybe it's due to their less than perfect upbringing, the tragic moments in their lives that define the people they are today. Their negative experiences have a way of clouding their mindset, especially in those times when they should be nothing but happy. Trauma has a funny way of doing that. Cheryl and Jughead share an odd bond over their struggles, something neither of their girlfriends seem to have experienced, and thus it's easy for them to band together in situations like this, even if they know they are overreacting.

"That sounds reasonable enough." Cheryl agrees reaching out for Jug's extended hand to shake on it. He nods before making his way over to Betty, wrapping an arm around her waist. Cheryl looks on at her friends, staring wistfully at the group. It's just a nice evening with the people you love, nothing excruciating so stop treating it as such, Cheryl thinks. Veronica looks over and catches Cheryl's eye, she makes a confused face that screams 'what are you doing' from across the lobby, waving her arm, calling her over toward them.

Cheryl finally moves from her spot to catch up with her friends. When she's reunited with Veronica she wraps her up in her arms, placing a kiss to her cheek. Veronica seems pleased with Cheryl's more positive attitude, rewarding her with a rather passionate kiss on her lips, to which Jughead interrupted with a loud clearing of the throat. Cheryl pulls away with a smirk, throwing a playful wink Jughead's way, before turning her attention back to her girlfriend. "Give me those socks." She demands holding her hand out and smiling devilishly. Maybe this night didn't have to be so bad after all.

Veronica laughs as she untangles herself from her girlfriend to reach into her purse for the extra pair of socks she brought so as to not soil her own (and Cheryl's) with smelly, sweaty, used bowling shoe. After they all get their shoes on, laces tight, and the computer queued up with everyone's names, Jughead chimes in with a proposition, "how about, to make this game interesting, losers buy nachos for the group." The bowling alley had a small concessions bar featuring you're average sporting event foods, nachos, soft pretzels, popcorn, hotdogs, etc. Jughead always thinking of food, of course makes this game a bet for such items.

Before anyone can agree to these stakes Cheryl jumps up, standing next to Jughead and offers her own addendum to the wager. "Instead of the usual couples verses game, how about we make it even more interesting by switching it up? Say besties B and V vs" she points to each respective girl as she uses their nicknames, turning her attention to her and Jug, after a short moment of contemplation she settles on "the misfits," as their team nomer.

Jughead looks at her with a roll of his eyes, "really couldn't think of anything more original?"

"Yeah yeah, move it." Cheryl says as she places a hand on his chest pushing him out of the way to get to the computer. She quickly shifts around the names to reflect the new team matchup. If Betty and Veronica were gonna drag them to bowling, they were gonna play by Cheryl and Jughead's rules.

 **A/N: Hello! Here's pt 2 of this double date, there will probably be 2 (maybe 3) more chapters of this date before I get into the new story arc I mentioned in my last author's note. I'm very excited to get to this new arc, but I promise I won't blow past this double cause I know some of you have really been looking forward to it. As always please share this fic, and leave a review. I don't want to be one of those demanding authors, but I can't help but feel discouraged when I post new content and there's hardly any feedback on it. It's been really hard to find the motivation to sit down and write these past few chapters because there's been so little engagement from readers, but I've persisted for those handful of people who consistently reach out, if you're one of those people, thank you so much, when I say you're the reason I write this fic, I'm not being facetious, I really do mean I keep updating for you. I don't want to sound ungrateful for the readers who do read and keep up to date on this story but chose to be silent, but I think a reminder is needed every once and a while that you're here you know? Writers and fandom content creators spend a lot of their own free time (I know I spend the majority of what little free time I have) creating these things for free, and all we ask in return is a little recognition every now and then. I've been guilty of being complacent myself, and I have been trying to get better at engaging more with the content/content creators I like because I know how disheartening it can be. Anyway, sorry for being so annoying, it's just something I've been thinking a lot about lately and I felt I needed to say my piece. Thank you so much for reading, hope to have another update for you this weekend!**


	43. Double Pt 3

"I can't believe we're losing." Veronica sighs as she looks up at the computer to check the score. Jughead was up to bowl, Cheryl to go next. Her and Betty sat on the bench exasperated.

"I can't believe your girlfriend is a freaking pro." Betty answers clearly annoyed by this discovery.

Veronica continues to examine the score, looking at each box citing the point totals from each frame. "I wouldn't go that far, she's only rolled 3 strikes." Veronica rebuts as she counts the little x's in her girlfriend's table.

"And 2 spares in 9 frames." Betty points up at the slash marks. "That's a hell of a lot better than your 3 gutter balls."

Veronica rolls her eyes at Betty's attitude. "Whatever, you're just sore that my girls better than Jug so you woulda lost either way we divided the teams." She brags as she crosses her arms over her chest. She can't help but feel proud of Cheryl. She watched as it was Cheryl's turn to bowl. The redhead knocked down 8 pins in her first roll. Turning around to excitedly high five Jughead, a huge smile across her face. For someone who was so against this idea in the first place, she seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Are we really going to compare partners like that?" Betty asks regaining Veronica's attention.

Veronica turned back to look at her friend. "I suggest you get up there and roll a strike if you want to have any chance of catching up."

Betty looks at Veronica with distain, and gets up from the bench as it's her turn to bowl, Veronica on deck before the cycle begins again. Cheryl picked up the spare on her second ball, garnering a smug grin as she makes her way back to the bench. She sits down next to her girlfriend, and is surprised by her immediate reaction.

Veronica scoots as close to Cheryl as she can get before grabbing both sides of her face with her hands, enveloping Cheryl's lips in a lingering kiss. She pulls away slowly, but not completely. Their heads still only inches apart. Cheryl giggles, taken aback by Veronica's sudden search for attention. "What was that for?"

"For playing along." Veronica answers as she once again pulls Cheryl forward so their lips could meet. "You seem to be having fun." She's relieved at how nice Cheryl is being, despite her opposition to coming here in the first place. It meant a lot to her that Cheryl was having fun and embracing the company of their friends.

"Well I am crushing you guys." She tilts her head, which is still being held by Veronica's hands, forward a bit to further insinuate "and you know I get pleasure from winning."

Veronica let's out a small chuckle of her own, Cheryl's not wrong. The redhead has always had a need to be better than everyone else. She's seen it at Vixens practice long before they ever started dating, especially during their dance off. Cheryl was incredulous upon losing, sulking off in anger.

She remembers the first time they played board games in lieu of their usual movie night. Let's say there's a reason movie nights are their regular go to. Cheryl was either smug about winning, or sore about losing, either way it took all the fun out of the evening. Veronica said never again to any competitive activities.

She should have been wary about bringing Cheryl here this evening given this fact, but she assumed she was probably gonna have a bad time regardless of where they go due to Cheryl's reluctance in the first place, what harm could this do. Turns out it's actually helped this evening from being a disaster.

They start kissing once again, unable to keep apart for too long. It's not until they hear Betty's disgruntled voice which breaks them apart. "Veronica, stop sucking face and bowl, it's your turn." She's obviously frustrated she's losing, maybe Betty is just as bad as Cheryl when it comes to competitiveness. Veronica keeps that in mind for future reference.

Cheryl gives her girlfriend some encouragement, whispering "good luck" accompanying it with a quick peck, "You're gonna need it." She winks, a devilish smile on her face. She's taunting, and she's loving it.

Veronica rolls her eyes at this, finally letting go of her girlfriend's face to rise from the bench. Betty takes Veronica's spot on the bench in between Cheryl and Jughead. The latter scoots closer as he puts his arm around Betty's shoulder. Betty leans into his embrace and rests her head against his, as they all watch Veronica roll her first ball.

Six pins. Second ball, three pins. It so looked like it was going to be a spare, but the last pin just teetered a bit before staying put. Veronica turns around huffing, "this game sucks" which earns a laugh from everyone on the bench. Jughead's turn.

"You're gonna have to teach me how to do this properly since you seem to have figured it out." Veronica says as she sits down next to Cheryl. Cheryl places a hand on Veronica's thigh and presses a kiss to her cheek in response.

"Yea Cheryl how are you so good at this?" Betty asks, leaning forward so she can see both girls.

Cheryl shrugs her shoulders. She's not really sure how, beginners luck she supposes, but won't admit. "Natural talent." She smirks in her typical vain tone of voice, she uses when she's bragging. That usual Cheryl charm, she may have gotten nicer, but she hasn't lost her sense of self.

"Next game you're on my team." Veronica says suggestively, wrapping her arm around Cheryl's arm, the hand of which was still on Veronica's lap. Veronica on the other hand liked to brag about Cheryl almost as much as Cheryl liked to brag about herself. She loved being able to 'take claim' over her girlfriend's achievements, proudly exuding her admiration for the girl. It really was cute how proud Veronica was over Cheryl. Cheryl never had anyone who seemed to be so overjoyed just by her existing, her heart still fluttered anytime Veronica did something to remind her that she cares so deeply.

It was the last frame, and everyone had one more chance to put points on the board, even though at this point it was highly improbable B and V would score enough points to edge out the Misfits. Veronica and Jug were both pretty weak bowlers, Betty was average, but Cheryl wiped the floor with the lot.

"Looks like dinners on you guys tonight." Jughead points to his girlfriend and Veronica once everyone finished their last frame. It was a runaway game, had been for about 5 frames now, but it was finally through and Jughead was starving.

Betty and Veronica get up from the bench, the blonde rather sullen from losing and make their way to the concessions counter. Meanwhile Cheryl and Jug get the table at their lane ready to eat, moving purses and coats so there was plenty of room for food. The girls arrive a few minutes later with a variety of options, nachos, pretzels, a few bags of chips, and of course some popcorn. They have to go back for the drinks.

Once everyone is situated at the table, before they can start eating, Betty proposes a toast. "To new friends" she looks at Cheryl and Veronica with a warm smile, "to love" she looks at Jug whereas Cheryl and Veronica look at each other. "But most importantly, to getting through this hellish year." They were only a couple weeks from New Year's, where they could say goodbye to the year that seemed to never stop throwing shit their way. From Jason's murder, to Betty's Blossom family bombshell, to Veronica's father spending time in jail, to Cheryl's suicide attempt, to Jug's dad getting caught up in the evil that's been permeating through Riverdale, this year especially. It was a rough year for everyone and they couldn't wait to get through it. A chorus of "cheers" and clanking cups signals the start of their meal.

Cheryl is the first one to make conversation, no longer feeling like she has to pretend to be enjoying herself, because turns out she actually was. "It's hard believe there's only a week left of school." After this week of course, they still had a couple days to go before the weekend.

"No, _YOU_ have a week left. Us plebs have exams remember." Jughead is quick to clarify, pointing at the redhead across the table as he takes another bite of soft pretzel.

"I can't help that I'm a junior." Cheryl laughs. The way the final exam schedule was set up at Riverdale High was freshmen and sophomores were required to take final exams for all their classes, while the juniors and seniors were only required to take exams for classes they were scoring low marks in or were absent three or more times for. This system was set up so the older kids would have more time to focus on the ACT standardized test and applying for colleges. Because Cheryl was a junior with a 4.0 GPA, she scored out of taking any exams.

"But you can help me prepare for Miller's calc exam." Jug offers as a way Cheryl can 'make it up to him even though she has nothing to make up for. She laughs at this and nods her head in silent agreement, much to Jughead's pleasure.

"I can't even think about tests right now, I'm so exhausted, break can't come soon enough." Veronica describes. She was an average student, excelling in English, however not doing so hot in the math or science departments. She'd probably have higher marks in chemistry if is wasn't for her distraction of a lab partner.

"Don't worry I can be your tutor too." Cheryl teases with a kiss to her cheek, and a hand trailing up Veronica's thigh. Veronica thanks God there's a table blocking their friends view. She turns to look at Cheryl, silent pleading for her to tone it down, now was not the proper time. Once they get home however…

Cheryl reluctantly stops her hand motion, but settles it on Veronica's knee, not wanting to break contact altogether. Veronica places her hand atop Cheryl's and give it a quick thankful squeeze before returning it to the top of the table and grabbing more food.

They spend the rest of the meal discussing school and holiday plans. They get a two-week vacation from school before the spring semester starts in mid-January. It's an exciting time of the year, everyone looking forward to the much-needed time off. Each of them feel like they could sleep the entirety of the two-week break. Cheryl doesn't think that idea sounds so bad given her bedmate. She might have to have a more imamate discussion about that with Veronica later.

Once the food has been thoroughly picked over, Jughead eating pretty much any last crumb the girls left, they opt to do a round 2, switching up the teams this go around.

"Ok losers of this game buys milkshakes at Pop's tonight." Jughead begins, " _Including_ Archie's." He adds after, feeling bad his best friend wasn't allowed to partake in tonight's date night. He couldn't help it that he was single though, maybe he'd have to try and fix that, so he wouldn't be the only guy forced into these, not doubt to be regular occasions. He insisted on going to Pop's after to meet up with their friend like they usually do, and everyone agreed it was a good idea.

The teams were now the traditional couple vs couple style, Veronica and Cheryl taking on Betty and Jughead. This game went by much quicker, now that they've gotten one under their belts, they are adjusted to the routine. Cheryl and Betty start off the game both with a spare, Jughead gets a 7 and Veronica edges him out with an 8 putting the girls in the lead. It's more of an even match this go around, Cheryl not rolling as many strikes, and everyone else averaging more pins than last game. Veronica didn't have any gutter balls, but still had a couple low scoring frames. On her seventh frame, Veronica rolls a strike which earns a large celebration and huge kiss from her teammate. Cheryl was beaming with pride at Veronica's excited smile. Even Jughead managed to roll a strike this game, which prompted a similar reaction from Betty. All in all, it was a more entertaining match. Cheryl and Veronica still won, no real surprise there, but it was a much closer score in the end. And with two games and dinner done, everyone felt it was time to call it a night on the double date and continue the night at Pop's with Archie. An evening of fun to be continued.

 **A/N: Hello! Happy New Year! I wanted you all to be able to start off #20Gayteen right with some Cheroncia fluff! The date may be over, but the fun continues at Pop's in the next chapter. I hope y'all had a wonderful and safe new year's eve, and wish y'all the best of luck in all of your endeavors this year! Thank you so much for the response to last chapter, I know I kinda guilted you into reviewing, but it honestly means so much to me that so many of you actually read and took note of my rambling. I hope the response isn't a one time thing and you continue to stay involved in engaging with this fic. I seriously cannot express how much those little words of encouragement can mean to a content creator, and I hope you keep that in mind when consuming other fan material as well. I love you all so much for all your support and patience. You truly are wonderful! Again Happy New Year, let's make 2018 the best one yet!**


	44. Winter

The temperature in Riverdale dropped almost 15 degrees since they entered the bowling alley hours earlier. The sun had set, and the frigid weather set in.

"We'll meet you there!" Veronica yells over the car at her friends who were parked next to them, before quickly entering her vehicle. The plan was to go straight to Pop's, the diner only being a few miles away, Jug giving Archie a heads-up text to meet them there. She flops into her seat with a blustering huff. This cold weather sucks. Both her and Cheryl, shaking in the passenger seat, were desperately trying to get warmer. Veronica reaches out to turn the temperature up on the car's heater. The leather seat underneath her felt like ice cubes on her thinly veiled legs, protected only by the pair of leggings she wore underneath her skirt. Perhaps she needed to actually start wearing pants in this weather. She couldn't wait for the seat heaters to finally kick in.

She looks over to her girlfriend, who was currently hugging herself for warmth, and smiled shyly. "Someone had fun." Her tone is smug, once again insinuating that Cheryl was freaking out over nothing. She doesn't wait for an answer because she knows she's right. "Thank you." There's so much appreciation evident in her tone of voice, along with the look in her eyes, which are just short of happy tears. It really meant so much to her.

Cheryl takes Veronica's hand in her own, and they both wince at how cold their fingers are. She brings them up to her lips and places a gentle kiss to Veronica's palm before sandwiching it between her other hand to keep her warm. "It was fun, I'm sorry I was so reluctant in the first place."

Veronica leans over the console to capture her girlfriend's lips with her own. This gesture leads them into a prolonged make-out session that ends up getting interrupted by their phones buzzing in tandem. The stupid group chat:

 **Betty: Where are you? We just ordered.** ****

 **Archie: yea I wanna hear all about Cheryl being a badass bowler**!

Veronica and Cheryl both smile at Archie's enthusiasm. Veronica quickly types out a response before settling in her seat, ready to put the car in reverse.  
 **  
** **Veronica: sorry had to swing by the Pembroke to change, and I thought New York was cold, be there soon!**

Cheryl looks over at her girlfriend after reading her message. "Are we really doing that?"

"Yes." Veronica confirms. She needed about three more layers on her legs before she agrees to enter the cold again.

The drive is short and when she parks the car Cheryl offers to stay so they can keep the heater running. "Just grab that red sweater I wore a few days ago," she requests of Veronica as she got out of the car, "and some gloves!" Cheryl yells before Veronica shuts the door.

Veronica races inside and up to her apartment. She changes fairly quickly; a couple more layers of pants should do the trick she thinks discarding her signature skirt on the floor. She then begins rummaging around the closet for Cheryl's sweater. She finds a cute cape amongst her girlfriend's clothes and puts that on too. She loves being able to share their wardrobe, one of the many perks of having Cheryl Blossom as a girlfriend, their styles were so similar, it's like they both just scored a paid shopping spree. With everything in hand, she makes her way toward the apartment door before a voice behind her seeks her attention.

"Veronica, where have you been?" Hermione asks from the foyer.

Veronica turns around, awkwardly shifting the extra coats in her arms, before timidly addressing her mother. They haven't been on the best terms since Cheryl moved in, instead opting to ignore each other in passing. It was a wildly opposing dynamic than the relationship they had before moving to Riverdale. On the one hand this change really upset Veronica, but if that change meant she got to help her friend not get physically abused by _her_ mother, then she was more than willing to accept it. Veronica was surprised her mother cared in the first place, it felt weird for her to reach out all of a sudden. "I was out with my friends."

"Where's Cheryl?" Hermione questions with a seemingly feigned interest.

This confused Veronica further. Her mother loathed the Blossoms and was less than thrilled about _their_ daughter living with them, but put up with it nonetheless for _HER_ daughter's sake, Veronica supposed. "She's Waiting for me in the car, we were on our way to Pop's to meet the others, just had to stop by for some extra layers first." She lifts her coat filled arms up for emphasis. Her mother just nods in understanding as she uncrosses her arms and moves about the room...

"Took you long enough there's been six new messages from the group chat." Cheryl lightly scolds as her girlfriend enters the car setting the extra coats in Cheryl's lap. Cheryl eagerly finds her sweater and pulls it on over her head.

Veronica doesn't even bother checking her phone to read the messages, "Sorry I couldn't find your sweater at first." She puts the car in reverse and pulls out from the lot not wasting another second. This sudden shift in motion causes Cheryl, who was putting on another coat, to fall back into her seat roughly. Veronica whispers a sorry, eyes focused in front of her.

"Jug threatened to not buy our shakes if we don't get there in 5 minutes." Cheryl states in effort to carry on a conversation.

Veronica looks at her in slight confusion before turning her attention back to the road, she didn't seem to register what Cheryl said exactly.

"On the group chat." Cheryl clarifies, knowing her girlfriend never checked her messages.

"Oh right," Veronica shakes her head, as if to clear the figurative cobwebs in her mind. "I hope you told him he's not weaseling his way out of this, we won fair and square."

"Of course." Cheryl replies with a grin. Her exact rebuttal to Jughead's message being: **No, no. YOU were the one who wanted to make it interesting. You lost, you pay. You made the rules.** Jughead only responded with "true" before Archie cut in with a joke about Jug being obsessed with food. And that's when Veronica entered the car, before she could laugh along.

They arrive at the diner a couple minutes later, the gang's heads perking up at the sound of the door chime. Veronica and Cheryl walk in, stopping near the counter before heading to the table. "Hey Pop, two chocolate shakes please, and add them to crownie's bill for me?" Veronica points to the signature beanie clad boy in the booth in the back. Pop Tate laughs at the nickname and nods in confirmation. "Thank you."

"Did I hear you call me Crownie?" Jughead asks in mock anger as the two girls slide into the booth next to Archie, their coats hung on the rack near Betty.

"Maybe invest in a different hat and I won't be able to call you that." Veronica quips in jest.

"Hey, I like the crown, fitting for my Southside Prince." Betty coos as she pulls the hat down over Jughead's eyes, leaning in to give him a quick kiss.

He pulls his hat off to resituate it on his head properly. "Okay I get it, I wear a goofy hat. It's not any weirder than Veronica's insistence on wearing skirts even in freezing temperatures." He points out, still confused by Veronica's choice in clothing given the cold temperatures on the forecast.

"Fashion comes at a cost, plus I changed." Veronica defends her decision laughing along with the others.

"Making you 20 minutes late. It took you that long to put on some pants." Jughead pushes further.

Veronica sideways glances at Cheryl for a moment, "we may have been celebrating our victory for part of that." She replies, impudently insinuating what her and Cheryl were doing before they left the bowling alley. Veronica puts an arm around Cheryl's shoulder, pulling her close to her side. "What can I say, I'm proud of my baby." She kisses Cheryl's temple.

Jughead and Betty roll their eyes at Veronica's over the top gesture. She always has a way of making her point in the most obnoxious way, not that Cheryl minds. She just nuzzles closer to her girlfriend, happy to be surrounded by such love.

Archie breaks the tension by excitedly asking what's been on his mind since he first heard about their bowling excursion. "How'd you convince everyone to go bowling, especially these two." Archie points to his best friend across the table and the redheaded girl sitting next to him. He never expected either of his friends would ever willingly go bowling, Jughead do to his lack of enthusiasm for most activities that require him to be just that, active, and Cheryl do to well, her being Cheryl, Riverdale's princess slumming it in a dingy bowling alley wasn't exactly a picture Archie could see.

"We have our ways." Betty says while winking at Veronica. It was rare Betty made a joke insinuating anything of a sexual nature, which obviously caught the boys off guard. Veronica and Cheryl just laughed at their flabbergasted faces.

Archie took a big gulp of his vanilla milkshake, "I still can't believe Cheryl's a bowling protege." He laughs, recalling the moment Jughead and Betty told him Cheryl beat them mercilessly, not once but twice. He couldn't stop laughing, as farfetched as it sounded, it somehow seemed perfectly fitting.

"Just one of my girl's many hidden talents." Veronica boasts once Again. Cheryl hides her face in Veronica's neck, not used to being fawned over quite like this. She had to hide the blush creeping up on her cheeks. She sneaks a small kiss to Veronica's skin, silently showing her appreciation.

Betty looking to change the subject speaks up asking Archie a question. "Arch, we were talking about getting together to study for finals, you in?"

He perks up upon hearing his name, "yeah that sounds great, I could actually really use some help with my final English paper, Cheryl if you don't mind giving me some advice." He and Cheryl have the same English teacher and he assigns all his students a final essay instead of making them take a test. Each class gets a different topic, but Cheryl's always had the highest marks in English, Archie knowing this would love for her to help proofread his work.

"Happy to oblige Archibald." Cheryl smiles sweetly in his direction as the others snicker at her use if his full name. Archie smiles while doing his own version of an eye roll. Seems everyone is getting roasted tonight.

They spend the better part of three hours at the diner, chatting and stuffing their stomachs full of french fries, burgers, and milkshakes. The flow of patrons come in and out as their group stays put in their booth. Snow begins to fall outside as the temperature continues to slowly drop before reaching its lowest temperature of four degrees. Single digits forecasted through the remainder of the week.

Archie and Jughead leave the diner first to go clean off the cars and get the heaters running, leaving the girls inside so they could stay warm. Archie volunteers to clean off Veronica's car for her with a, "what are friends for," as he takes her keys. It was wonderful how easily they fell back into friendship mode after the way they ended things. Veronica would always be grateful for that fact.

While the boys were outside, Betty thanks the girls for satisfying her need for a double date, and much to everyone's surprise Cheryl suggests they do it again sometime. "A different venue of course, unless you want to be crushed yet again." She adds with a playful smirk.

After a round of hugs, and promises of seeing each other tomorrow, everyone enters their respective vehicles and take turns leaving the parking lot. The flurries of snow picking up and dancing all around them as they take off in the night.

 **A/N: Hello all! I hope you've had a good start to the new year, and if not, just remember it's only one week in, things will get better. Not much to say about this chapter besides the new arc is officially in swing, more to come in future chapters. This really is the beginning to the "second half" of this story, and I'm very excited to see where it leads. Thank you all so so much for your comments! You truly help keep me energized and motivated to continue with every message, so please keep them coming! Until next time! :D**


	45. Coping Mechanisms

Back at home, their layers are quickly discarded along the floor, Veronica and Cheryl get caught up in each other, bodies tangled across the bed. It happened almost immediately after entering the room, Veronica seductively trapping Cheryl against the wall, whispering about how proud of her girl she was, how beautiful she looked tonight, how hard it was to keep her hands off her in the company of their friends. She was insatiable, hungrily taking Cheryl's lips in her own, kissing her with a fevered passion that was rougher than their usual sensual make out sessions. This time was different, it felt like Veronica was on a mission, with nothing slowing her down.

Hushed whispers quickly turned into soft moans, and the sound of wet lips smacking filling the space between them. It wasn't long before they clumsily made their way across the room to the bed, tripping over the cascade of falling clothes with each step. Stripped down to their lingerie they fell onto the sheets, crawling toward the headboard, Veronica's head falling on to pillow below.

Cheryl hovers above her girlfriend, one hand by Veronica's head, the other roaming over her exposed skin. It wasn't the first time they've been in this position, but it was the barest either had been in said situation. Hands usually having to blindly crawl under shirts. They were taking it slow in regard to being sexually involved, but tonight, something about the urgency in the way Veronica initially kissed her upon entering the room sparked an intensity unmatched by anybody their previous exploits.

Veronica flips them over with a ferocity unseen by Cheryl before. The hunger in Veronica's eyes visibly amplified by their closeness. She leans down for another kiss, sucking in Cheryl's bottom lip between her own. The redhead can already tell her lips will be swollen after this. Veronica lightly bites the piece of skin before releasing it to move further down Cheryl's face, neck, chest. Pressing hot lingering kisses over every inch of skin on her way down.

Cheryl's breathing hitches as Veronica's lips graze over her pulse point. Her hands instinctively tangle in Veronica's hair pulling it out of her face, so she can properly see her girl, but that's when her heart sank. Despite Veronica's bold and enticing actions, there were tears on her face. This instantly worried Cheryl, who moves her hands from Veronica's hair to cup her cheeks pulling her upward. "Hey, babe what's wrong?" She wipes the tear away bringing Veronica's attention to the fact she was crying, something she didn't realize she was doing.

Veronica shakes her head, dismissing the question, "Nothing, now where were we...?" She trails off she goes in to suck at the base of Cheryl's neck, looking to leave a mark no doubt.

Cheryl squirms a bit uncomfortably, concerned with her girlfriend's emotional state. "Ron," she pushes Veronica back, so she can see her face again, "Talk to me." Her voice is low and pleading, she doesn't understand why Veronica is being so distant. Even the look in her eyes is now lacking the usual happy gleam Veronica exudes every day. Instead her eyes are hollow, with a hint of desperation evident in her shying glance.

"Somethings bothering you," Cheryl speaks softly, gently curling her fingers around Veronica's ear, and cupping her cheek with her other hand. "Talk to me." She's pleads once again, a quiet whisper between them.

Veronica hangs her head as she lets her emotions rise to the surface. Tears begin to fall from her eyes again, with more veracity this time. She draws in a ragged breath before lowering herself into Cheryl's embrace, no longer able to hold herself up above her girlfriend's body. She has a tendency to do this, throwing herself into sexual situations when she's upset, hoping to ignore the world and feel good for a little bit. She needs the control, to be able to have the power over something, if only for a moment. The feeling acting as a numbing drug that temporarily mends whatever hell life drags her though that day.

It's a part of herself that Veronica struggles with, knowing there's healthier ways of coping. She's always safe, and in control, she makes sure of that. It doesn't stop the sickening feeling she gets afterward, whenever her prey happens to be that time leave. She knows it's wrong to lead people on the way she does, but she never promised a forever. This time it was different, she was with her girlfriend, someone she actually cared about, loved. She couldn't just use her. When Cheryl spoke those comforting words, Veronica broke. Time to find a better coping mechanisim…

They lie there together, Veronica half on top of Cheryl, face buried in her girlfriend's neck. Cheryl's arms wrapped around Veronica tightly, dragging her nails up and down her bare back, gently raking across her spine. It's an unusual predicament Cheryl finds them in. Usually she's the one crying in Veronica's arms. It's a foreign feeling being the supporter instead of the one having the break down. All Cheryl can do is try to be there for Veronica the same way she's been there for her time and time again. She pulls her closer and places a kiss on Veronica's head. No matter what, she was determined to help her through this, whatever _this_ is. This time Veronica was not alone.

 **A/N: Hello all. Sorry for the tease lol but I think it's also good to point out now that I'm not a smut writer, I don't feel comfortable writing it so something like this is probably as close as they'll ever get in this story. (There will be a "first-time" chapter at some point, but it'll be heavily implied as opposed to explicitly written) Just thought I should give a head up to those who might be reading just for that? Or at least hoping for it. I know this chapter is short, but I've had some personal stuff come up that needs my attention, but I still wanted to give you some sort of update this week. I thank you for your understanding. I hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless. Thank you all so much, much love to you!**


	46. B&B

Eventually Veronica falls asleep, too exhausted from crying to stay awake to explain herself. Cheryl doesn't mind, she understands the feeling all to well. She's sure she's done the same thing to the girl in her arms on numerous occasions. She tries her best to pull a blanket over their half naked bodies, struggling to reach the throw at the end of the bed with one hand without waking up Veronica. She lies there staring at the ceiling, mindlessly drawing circles on Veronica's back. Cheryl's heart hurts. She doesn't know what's causing her girlfriend so much pain, but she shares that pain with her, hurt that she's hurting.

This is a new feeling for Cheryl. She's never been close to anyone before to take their burdens on as her own. Even Jason was private enough about his struggles, that Cheryl never really knew he was hurting. She wonders what would have happened had she not noticed the tears, if Veronica was strong enough to not let any fall, would she have struggled in silence while pleasuring her girlfriend as if nothing was wrong? Would Cheryl have been astute enough to notice Veronica was hurting if it weren't for the tears? To think their first time together, Cheryl's first time ever, could have been tainted by her inability to be apathetic was a selfish thought. But all her life Cheryl has been a selfish person, she had to be to survive. She hates herself for thinking of herself in a time when she shouldn't be the focus. It's an instinct, and ugly one she admits, something she is determined to work on.

She's never seen Veronica distraught like this before, even when they weren't friends, Veronica never revealed herself to show deep emotion in public. Veronica alluded to her demons before, but that's the only glimpse into her internal trauma she'd allow. Cheryl wonders if she acted that way to protect her heart. Has she been burned in the past? Perhaps too many times to trust even her closest of friends, her girlfriend?

It suddenly occurs to Cheryl that she doesn't know as much about Veronica as she thought. There's a whole past life in New York that Cheryl knows very little about. She begins to become paranoid thinking was this because Veronica didn't trust her, or did she never ask? Both scenarios scared her, on the one hand the closest person in her life, the one she loves and cares about the most doesn't trust her, doesn't feel like she can be open and honest with her, but on the other hand, Cheryl neglected to actively learn more about Veronica, she was too selfish, too concerned with her own shit, she failed to make Veronica feel safe and trusted. Either way, Cheryl feels like she's helpless.

Veronica has been there for her time and time again over these past couple months. Now it was her turn to return the favor, but she has no idea what to do. Maybe that's why Veronica hasn't shared her struggles with her, because she feels she has to be strong for Cheryl, that she doesn't want to burden Cheryl with her shit because Cheryl has enough on her plate already. She falls asleep wondering how she can show Veronica that not only is she able to handle Veronica's demons, but that she wants to.

She wakes up to an empty bed. It takes a moment for the panic to set in as Cheryl's memory of last night slowly comes back to her. Veronica had an emotional breakdown last night, like Cheryl's never seen before. She doesn't even know what caused such a response, she was clueless. She's been left in the dark both literally and figuratively.

It was a school morning, wintertime darkness shrouded the room at this early hour. Her alarm should have woken her up 15 minutes ago, but for some reason it didn't go off. Instead, rustled awake by the sound of a leafless tree scraping across the window pane. A snowstorm on today's forecast. Wonderful.

An empty bed, grown cold. Nothing but rumpled up sheets where Veronica should be. Cheryl looks around, checking the walk-in closet, the bathroom, even the kitchen. No sight of her girlfriend anywhere. The worry starts to grow as she finds no clues as to where Veronica might be. No note on the bedside table, no text messages, not even a cutesy message left on the bathroom mirror, something Veronica did often after Cheryl fell asleep so the first thing she'd see in the morning as she was getting ready for school, and Veronica was still sleeping, was a good morning love note.

She's shaking with an anxiousness she can't control. It's not like Veronica to just up and leave without explanation, but considering what happened the night before, Cheryl begins to wonder if this is part of Veronica's process. That having some alone time is what Veronica needs to get through whatever issues she's dealing with. With that thought in mind, Cheryl tries to calm down a bit and go about her morning routine. Veronica can't hide forever, surely, she'll see her at school.

She takes a longer shower than usual, assuming Veronica won't be around to need the hot water, she lets it fall on her skin like a soothing massage, washing away all the tension. It takes all her energy to not freak out, her abandonment issues prying their way to the surface. This isn't about her, she keeps reminding herself, but that selfish part of her won't let her believe otherwise. The internal struggle becomes outward as sobs rack her body, tears blending into the shower stream. Now isn't the time to cry. She needs to suck it up and be strong for Veronica this time. They can discuss their insecurities later, right now, she needs to let Veronica know that she's all in. 

She doesn't bother getting dressed in the bathroom like usual, instead making her way to the bedroom wrapped up in a large towel. She stayed under the stream until the water ran cold, the wakeup call telling her to buck up and face the day. When she enters the room, the wind gets knocked out of her, the pain in her chest clenching one last time before slowly dissipating. The sight of Veronica sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed and ready with a large smile plastered on her face sent a wave of relief through Cheryl's body, she almost dropped her towel in surprise.

"About time you finished, our food's getting cold." Veronica playfully torts as she rises from the bed.

Cheryl is confused by her girlfriend's presence. Here she was having a breakdown over the fact Veronica had abandoned her over only god knows what, when turns out she wasn't actually running this whole time? She tries to suppress her anxiousness as she asks, "Where were you?"

Veronica takes her coat and scarf off, placing them on the desk behind her. "Sorry to disappear, I just wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed." She turns around pointing at the to-go bags marked 9th Street Café on the floor near the bed. "I see turning your alarm off didn't keep you asleep." She pouts a bit, annoyed to discover her girlfriend was awake.

Cheryl lets out a deep breath, once again relief washing over her body. She was overreacting earlier, like usual, a trait about herself that Cheryl hates. The paranoia has a way of taking over in even the smallest of situations, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. "That's sweet of you, but if you don't mind me asking, why?" She's still trying to assess the situation, Veronica seems perfectly fine, but Cheryl can't help but worry.

Veronica looks at her in confusion, "What? I can't spoil my girlfriend every now and then?" The smile on her face grows even wider as she gently laughs at her girlfriend.

Cheryl is still tepid, but decides to back off, Veronica will come to her in time. "No no, of course you can," She walks over to Veronica and gives her a quick kiss to show her appreciation, "thank you love." She tries to pull away, but Veronica isn't done yet. Veronica wraps her arms around Cheryl's waist to keep her close as she kisses her slowly. Cheryl's arms instinctively curl around Veronica's neck as she happily allows Veronica's tongue access to her mouth.

"Now get dressed," Veronica states after she cuts this kiss short with a quick squeeze to Cheryl's but cheek, drawing attention to the fact she's still in a towel. "I'll take care of this." She adds referring to the food at their feet.

Cheryl smiles as she untangles from Veronica's embrace, struggling to keep her towel from falling off in the move. Veronica walks into the kitchen, opting to set up on the counter since the breakfast in bed option is off the table. Meanwhile, Cheryl walks into the closet and proceeds to get dressed. The whole time her mind is still panicking, something doesn't feel right despite Veronica's positive demeanor. She wants to confront her about what happened, but she feels like that might further push Veronica away. She feels trapped in this unsteady balance where no matter what move she makes, things will come crashing down. How can Veronica just pretend that nothing happened? Maybe that exactly the point.

Cheryl wonders, how do you help someone who doesn't want to be helped?

 **A/N: Hello all! Ngl this I'm not super happy with this chapter, it was a struggle to write given the similarities to my current personal life. For those who followed me on tumblr, you may have noticed I deactivated my account. A rash decision on my part, but there's nothing I can do about it now, so if you know of anyone who followed my story there, if you could please spread the word that I'll still be updating here and on AO3. Eventually I'll return to tumblr, but I just needed a break for now. I hope this chapter made sense, and that it was somewhat enjoyable. Thank you for your understanding.**


	47. Secret Motives

After a rather pleasant breakfast, Cheryl finishes getting ready for school while Veronica cleans up the kitchen. Cheryl can't help but be confused by her girlfriend's emotional state. When she asked Veronica how she was feeling today, all she did was shrug it off and say "great" in a pleasant tone. No mention of Veronica's breakdown was uttered. It was like last night never happened, and that just didn't sit right with Cheryl.

Cheryl didn't know how to broach the subject of what exactly happened last night without further upsetting Veronica when she clearly didn't want to talk about it. She tries to convince herself that it's not important, she doesn't need to know what happened, if Veronica was fine, then it didn't matter right? Except of course it did, and Cheryl couldn't let it go so easily.

How do you help someone who doesn't want to be helped? Once again Cheryl felt herself trapped in this paradox. She wants nothing more than to be able to prove to Veronica that she can trust her with her issues, but she didn't know how else she could show it. Persistence is the only thing she knows to do, but at what point does persistence become annoyance?

Her internal struggle continued throughout the morning and must have been evident on her face as they drove to school in silence, because Veronica eventually broke the tension by speaking up for the first time since they left the Pembroke. "Hey, are you alright?" Her tone is casual, her level of worry at a low.

Cheryl breaks her trance of staring out the window to look at her girlfriend in the driver's seat from where she watched with a look of concern. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" And she has, multiple times already this morning. Each time met with indifference. Cheryl was getting tired of Veronica's insistence of not acknowledging what happened last night.

"I'm fine. We've already established that." Veronica retorts with an alarmingly stern voice. It wasn't like Veronica to lose her cool when talking to friends, especially not with Cheryl. Even Veronica is surprised by her tone as she immediately softens offering an apology. "I'm sorry," she pauses as she takes a second to look at Cheryl, her face displaying remorse for her outburst. "I'm just stressed about finals, and I don't exactly handle pressure well." She turns her attention back to the road, both hands clenching the steering wheel. Cheryl can feel Veronica's energy levels spiking, an anxious tension rising.

It seems plausible enough, Cheryl thinks. She doesn't believe that's the sole reason behind Veronica's tears, but it's a start. "Then let me help." She reaches across the center console to place a hand on Veronica's forearm. "Tonight, let's study for anything you need." She hopes that if she can help ease some of Veronica's stress, then she'd feel more equipped to open up about her other demons.

Veronica doesn't bother to turn her attention away from the road, outright turning her down without a glance. "I already have plans to prepare for our English exam with Betty tonight."

"Oh," Cheryl visibly deflates, shrinking back into her seat and removing her hand from Veronica's arm.

Veronica feels bad about creating such a change in her girlfriend's demeanor and offers an alternate plan. "Since Jughead's free I'm sure he'd appreciate that calc help. We can all meet up at Pop's after for dinner?" She voices it like a question, but Cheryl knows it's a subtle plea, Veronica asking for space without outright saying it. Cheryl merely nods her head in agreement, no verbal confirmation given. If space is what Veronica wants, then Cheryl will try to give it to her, no matter how hard that might be.

The rest of the ride to school is silent, which isn't an unusual occurrence, from time to time they enjoy relishing in each other's company, conversation not needed. However, this time there was an uncomfortable tension in the air. Neither girl knew what to say so they decided it was best they didn't say anything at all.

Even when they arrive at school things are still awkward. They usually walk into school hand in hand making their grand entrance as the queens of Riverdale High. Not today. Cheryl hangs back slightly as they walk to the building, letting Veronica entering the school first. This change in routine sparks whispers among the students who witnessed the unusual event. The rumor mill churning faster than usual.

Cheryl is the first one to break the silence when they arrive at Veronica's locker. "I'm gonna hit the B&G, find Jughead." She points over her shoulder, signaling her intention to leave. "I'll see you in chem." She staggers a bit, unsure of if she should kiss Veronica or not. It's an uncomfortable moment but she settles for on a peck on the cheek before turning and practically sprinting down the hall, leaving a distraught Veronica behind.

Veronica sighs deeply to herself, hanging her head in shame. She knew Cheryl was just concerned considering their evening prior, but Veronica was not ready to unpack all that emotional baggage. She slams her locker closed a bit more forcefully than needed, prompting curious onlookers. Once again providing 'evidence' gossiping people will use to create their crazy theories.

"Woah there, what's got you so riled up?" Betty asks as she joins her friend.

Veronica rolls her eyes as the two begin their walk to class. "I think Cheryl and I are having our first fight." Veronica passively pouts a bit, knowing full well that she's the reason they are in this weird situation. She's the one pushing Cheryl away, when it's obvious all she's trying to do is provide comfort.

"Oh, did something happen?" Betty asks, the concern radiating from her body language, a comforting hand on Veronica's shoulder, a furrowed brow, and an uneasy frown.

"It's complicated..." Veronica stresses, which Betty knows is code for 'I don't want to talk about it' Before she can rebut, Veronica chimes in with an up pointed finger, "Oh and cancel your plans we're studying tonight." Betty looks at her friend which a confused expression. "I told Cheryl we were studying for English." Veronica explains.

Betty nods, understanding the secret meaning behind this request. "You know you can talk to me about anything right? I won't push but know that I'm here for you."

Veronica links arms with Betty and places her head on her shoulder as they continue walking down the hall, "I know B." She closes her eyes for a moment, a silent thank you caught between her lips, she lets out a deep breath. Today is gonna be a long day.

 **A/N: Hello! Sorry for the longer wait for this chapter, I have been seriously lacking motivation to write lately, but I was determined to sit down and finally work it out. I mentioned in my last author's note that I deactivated my tumblr and that I would come back eventually, lol well I'm officially back! So if you have a tumblr and care to follow me you can find me at username: jimalim**

 **Thanks for your patience and kind words as I navigate through this weird time in my life. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think!**


	48. Awkward

No communication.

No cute in class texts. No secret bathroom meetings during class, where they'd both slip out for a quick visit. No in between class meetups at each other's lockers.

Nothing.

Veronica didn't see it hear from her girlfriend until she entered the door to her 3rd period chemistry classroom. Sitting in her usual spot, Cheryl engulfed in her notebook, quickly scrawling away pen to paper. She didn't even look up when Veronica approached the desk.

"Heyyy" Veronica timidly stretches the word, unsure of how to greet Cheryl during this tumultuous time between them.

Cheryl doesn't bother looking up, her attention focused on the page in front of her. The only thing she does to acknowledge Veronica's arrival is quietly hum in response.

Veronica visibly deflates at her less than enthused welcome. She takes her seat next to Cheryl and nervously places her hand over Cheryl's still scribbling one.

This gets Cheryl's attention who looks up at Veronica for the first time since they parted ways this morning. "What?" Her voice has more bit to it than either of them expected. Cheryl let's out a deep breath to try to calm down, she wasn't aware she was this worked up, her reaction informing her of her anger.

Veronica quickly releases Cheryl's hand and shrinks back into her seat. It's quiet. The tension building with each passing second. Veronica doesn't know what to say. She remains silent, eyes cast off past Cheryl's figure. There's no way she could make eye contact right now without breaking out into tears.

For a second, Cheryl feels she should apologize for her outburst, but ultimately decides not to. Veronica chose this, she's the one that wanted space and kept pushing her away. If she has to give her the cold shoulder until Veronica finally comes to her senses and lets her in, then so be it.

She turns her attention back to her notebook. She had been writing non-stop since this morning. Nothing specific in particular, just anything that came to mind. A sort of stream of consciousness experiment. It's something she'd do to keep her mind occupied when things in life weren't going well. She has a tendency to over think things, progressively make her problems worse due to the paranoia. She had to find a way to keep herself busy, and writing was the solution.

Writing was a go to coping mechanism for Cheryl since she was a young girl. Anytime her parents were particularly mean, Jason was away, or the kids at school got her down, Cheryl would turn to a blank notebook and a pen. Writing each and every thought and feeling down as a way to let them escape her body, the stress lifting off her shoulders with each word.

Some days it worked better than others. On the many days she'd lack the motivation to write, Cheryl would find herself trapped in her mind. Over analyzing every moment, word, reaction, of whatever thing that was wrong in her life at that given time, no detail was overlooked. Dealing with the last few moments she spent with Jason on the banks of Sweetwater River was probably the hardest thing she's had to navigate through, perhaps until now.

After Jason died, Cheryl couldn't even think about writing. Spending hours in bed under a mountain of blankets, crying till she ran out of tears. It wasn't until a few weeks later she was able to pick up a pen. By that point it didn't really matter.

Today Cheryl started writing as soon as she got to her first period class. She didn't even hesitate, filling up almost eight pages before class was over. She couldn't let herself get trapped in her head this time around. She wasn't going to let her paranoia ruin the best thing she has in her life. So she wrote. She let all her feelings out onto the page. She wasn't paying attention the the lesson, she wasn't even thinking, just running on an autopilot that took over her body.

By the time she got to chemistry, where she knew she'd see Veronica, she had over 15 pages of ramblings. Emotionally she felt stable. Like she could handle seeing her girlfriend for the hour, without breaking down. She didn't realize she'd be so angry with her when she said hello.

"I talked to Jug." Cheryl breaks the silence, her attention still on her notebook, but less bite to her tone. Cheryl can feel Veronica's eyes staring at the side if her face. She continues, "we're gonna work on calc tonight so you won't have to worry about keeping me busy." She waits for Veronica's response, her heart rate increasing with each passing second. The going of her stomach on her throat making her incredibly anxious.

Veronica shifts uncomfortably in her seat. She wants to reach out and place a comforting hand on Cheryl's arm. Given the way she responded last time she touched her, Veronica opted to keep her hands to herself, writhing nervously in her lap. She clears her throat, "oh that's good." She feels bad for forcing these plans on Cheryl. "I'm sure he appreciates the help."

"At least someone does..." Cheryl mutters quietly, although still loud enough for Veronica to hear. Veronica chokes back her desire to cry. She felt she doesn't deserve to be upset, she was the reason Cheryl was acting this way. She's the one who pushed Cheryl away. This treatment was deserved in Veronica's mind.

They spent the rest of class in silence. No more words exchanged between the two. They didn't hold hands, or run thighs like usual. It was like they were two perfect strangers forced to sit next to eachother on public transport. Avoiding eye contact, holding breaths, doing their best to keep to themselves. The tension was so palpable the surrounding students could feel it. Their attention focused on the pair rather than the board up front.

Once the bell rings signaling the end of the hour, Cheryl begins gathering her materials, putting them in her bag. Before she can leave the table Veronica grabs Cheryl's arm and timidly asks, "I'll see you at lunch?" There's a hopefulness to her tone. She doesn't want to leave this classroom without attempting to clear the air.

"Um, actually" Cheryl begins, nervously adjusting her bag strap with the arm Veronica wasn't still holding. "I ran into Archie and he was wanting someone to read over his English paper. We were gonna meet in the lounge over lunch." Cheryl turns her down as gently as possible, feeling guilty for shutting her down earlier.

Veronica lets go of Cheryl's arm with a disappointed "oh, okay." She hangs her head for a moment. It's not until she feels Cheryl take her and in her own that she looks up at her girlfriend.

Cheryl leans in and places a quick kiss to Veronica's lips, a small reminder that although they might be 'fighting' she still cares, that they are still together. "I'll see you at practice." She whispers before releasing Veronica's hand, fingers slipping through her own. And with that, Cheryl turns around and leaves.

Veronica stands there, her heart aching for this mess to all be over. She knows for that to happen, she needs to come clean with what's really going on. She takes a deep breath before grabbing her own bag and goes to leave, she's not ready for that conversation.

 **A/N: Hello all! Hope you had a lovely Sunday! I wanted to get another chapter in for you since my work schedule is picking up again and I'm not sure when I'll have time to sit down to write again. Hope you enjoyed this little update! until next time, thank you so so much for your continued support!**


	49. Papers and Rumors

"Alright Arch, this is a good start." Cheryl begins as she looks over Archie's paper, flipping the pages. "I've marked things such as grammar, sentence structure, where you need to beef up your point, but overall it's decent." She points out the red underlines and scribbles on each page as she describes.

It was lunchtime, her and Archie were alone in the student lounge. She had just finished reading Archie's final essay for his English final. The whole time Archie sat there nervously rocking back and forth in his chair, wringing his hands together. He stayed up half the night to finish this draft. He was relieved to run in to Cheryl earlier this morning. When he asked if Cheryl would read over it for him, he was elated when she suggested the meet over lunch. Little did he know why Cheryl was so eager to get out of their usual lunch routine, not wanting to see Veronica any more than she had to.

Archie gratefully smiles as Cheryl compliments his work. It took him forever to finish this draft, so hearing it wasn't as awful as he initially thought came as such a relief. "You're a lifesaver Cher!" He gleefully exclaims as he places a hand on her arm, squeezing her wrist as a quick non-verbal thank you.

"I'm glad _YOU_ think so." Cheryl mutters, reminiscent of the way she called out Veronica in class an hour ago. She casts her gaze off to the side, her demeanor deflating as her personal problems slowly creep back into the forefront of her mind.

Archie picks up on Cheryl's distress and places a hand on her shoulder. "What's going on?" The concern is evident in his voice, and Cheryl can't help getting emotional at this fact. She buries her face in her hands in effort to hide her tears. This action prompts Archie to scoot closer to Cheryl, where they sat on the couch, he wraps his arm around her more fully, rubbing light circles over her shoulder.

Cheryl is too embarrassed to speak, furiously trying to wipe away her tears, as if she could will them to stop. "It's stupid." Cheryl manages to choke out between sobs. She can feel Archie's arm flex, squeezing her gently.

"Not it's not, if it's causing you this much pain then it definitely isn't." He pauses for a moment, contemplating whether he should ask the question that's on his mind. While the two of them are close, he doesn't want to overstep any boundaries. But Cheryl means a lot to him, and his urge to help her outweighs his fear of pissing her off. "Does this have something to do with the rumors floating around school?"

Cheryl slowly raises her head to look at Archie's face, "what rumors?" She had been so closed off and inside herself today she didn't notice the kids around her whispering, pointing. It's like she was walking alone through the day, drifting from room to room without any clue there were people surrounding her.

Archie scratches the back of his head with his free hand, his signature nervous tick, his eyebrows slanting as he reveals, "that you and Ronnie are fighting, or broken up, no one's exactly sure, but they can tell there's..." he pauses a moment looking for the right word, "tension."

These words make Cheryl cry harder than before, dropping her head once again into her palms. She cries for a few minutes as Archie sits there with her in silence. He gently rubs her back to let her know he's still there, hoping his presence is comforting enough until Cheryl feels ready to talk about what's going on.

"Something is bothering Veronica," Cheryl begins once her sobs stop and she feels she can breathe long enough to talk. "I keep trying to help, but she just pushes me away. I don't know what to do." She throws her hands up for emphasis. "I feel like she doesn't want me to know what's wrong, and that just makes me think that maybe I'm the problem..." Her insecurities and paranoia making her believe she's the reason Veronica is upset.

Archie runs a hand through his hair, as if moving the locks off his face will help him think clearly. "As long as I've known Ronnie, which I understand isn't that much longer than you've known her, she's never been very forthcoming about her own personal feelings. She's probably just used to dealing with things on her own and doesn't know how to let anyone in to help." It's actually a very wise hypothesis, which makes Cheryl feel a lot better about breaking down in front of Archie of all people. She somehow didn't expect him to be so insightful.

"I just don't know how I can prove to her that it's ok to come to me, that she doesn't have to go through it alone." Cheryl continues to explain her feelings about the situation.

Archie hums quietly, thinking of ideas. Unfortunately, he doesn't come up with anything right away, until Cheryl continues talking, giving him the clue he needs to figure it out. "She's the one who keeps saying 'communication is key' but she won't talk to ME." That bit of information gives him the idea.

"Have you tried telling her all of this? Letting her know that you want to help, but feel like you can't because she's not allowing herself to be open with you? Just being as straight up and honest with her as you can be." Archie offers, it seems like a simple solution but often times people have the hardest time just communicating, especially in times where deep personal feelings are involved. As veronica always says, communication is key, the problem is actually following through as opposed to just acknowledging it.

Cheryl sighs, Archie's right. Her instinctive reaction to Veronica refusing to open up was to close herself off as well, and what good does that do if both girls are too stubborn to own up to their feelings? "You make a good point Archie."

"She's crazy about you, I'm sure whatever it is she's dealing with doesn't have to do with you." Archie reassures with another squeeze around Cheryl's shoulders, "She's probably just scared of how you'll react or something dumb like that." He waves it off like it's no big deal, "you guys will be fine."

Cheryl smiles sweetly, looking him directly in the eyes for the first time during this entire conversation. "Thank you." She whispers sincerely.

Archie nods his head as he stands, pulling Cheryl off the couch with him and envelops her in a strong hug. Cheryl relaxes into the embrace, feeling content for the first time that day. Archie really dies have this calming energy about him. And his overwhelming propensity for friendship really made him the best person to go to in times like this.

She places a gratuitous kiss to his cheek as they part, once again verbally thanking him for his help. He grins in response. "Anytime."

 **A/N: HELLO! so I managed to get another little update for you a lot sooner than I thought. Once I got the idea for this chapter I couldn't stop writing. I just love Archie and Cheryl, their dynamic is so great. I hope you enjoyed it! Not sure when the next update will be since I'm not off for a week :( Thank you all so so much for your continued support, I'm absolutely flabbergasted by how much this story has taken off! Please spread the word, share the story, the show might not be providing us with any cheronica content, but I promise I will! So much love to all of you!**


	50. Studying

Practice gets cut short today, Cheryl making an excuse about wanting to provide everyone the opportunity to get home early so they'd have extra time to prepare and study for finals next week. "We'll just run the routine for the end of year assembly a couple times and you're free to go." She was met with a chorus of approval and applause. Of course she didn't refer to Veronica when making this decision, it's not like they're co-captains or anything. Veronica just had to play along in order to keep the peace.

Veronica tries to talk to Cheryl after practice, just a quick goodbye before she heads to Betty's place, but Cheryl is out of the locker room before Veronica even finishes getting dressed.

Minutes later, upon entering Betty's room, Veronica dramatically falls back into the bed and deeply sighs. It's the first real emotion she's let out all day. Betty places her backpack on the floor next to her desk before taking a seat on the bed next to her distraught friend. "What's going on?"

"Cheryl won't even look at me." Veronica starts, throwing her hands in the air, staring at the ceiling. "Did you see the way she bolted after practice?!" She turns her head to look at Betty, her stare practically burning a hole in the blonde's cheek.

Betty shifts so she can pull her leg up underneath her to more rightly face Veronica before replying. "She's probably just trying to give you some space, that's what you wanted isn't it?" Betty tries her best to be reassuring without cutting down Cheryl, Cheryl is her friend to and she doesn't want to say anything negative about her without knowing her side of things.

Veronica rolls over to lay in a fetal-esque position, her body facing betty, arms tucked under her head, knees curled closer to her chest. She signs again, knowing Betty is probably right, she usually is. "I just don't know what to do." She closes her eyes trying to fight off the tears she can feel beginning to form.

"I think the answer is obvious." Betty states rather nonchalantly, causing Veronica to raise her head looking up at her with a quizzical expression. Betty lays a hand on Veronica's arm, her voice is low, calm, and slow, a pause between each word for emphasis. "Talk. To. Her."

Veronica rolls her eyes, to which Betty matches with a stern glare. It really was that simple and they both knew it. "It's complicated." Veronica admits without giving any real detail about what exactly is going on. Something Betty knew not to ask about but was still curious to learn.

"Im not going to push, but you and Cheryl are in a serious relationship, you live together. She deserves to know what's going on, or at least how she can help. She's just worries about you." Betty explains sympathetically, trying her best to give Veronica advice that would be beneficial for both her and Cheryl.

"God I'm so bad at this. Back in New York, girls and boys were just playthings." Veronica can sense Betty's silent disapproval without even seeing her face. "When things got too intense, I'd end things, move on to the next venture." Veronica's rich playgirl past isn't something she likes to talk about, too ashamed of the person she once was.

Betty's only heard her reference her old life a handful of times over the course of their friendship. She somehow wasn't surprised to hear of Veronica's sexual exploits, but she was really proud of how far she's come. Seeing Veronica with Cheryl, Betty knows Veronica is a changed person. She's so patient and caring with her. The way the two of them interact, especially when they think no one's watching, speaks volumes about how much they care for each other. Betty is truly happy they found each other, which is why seeing them at odds hurts her almost as much as it hurts her friends. "That's not something you want to do is it?" She asks Veronica timidly referring to her pattern of breakups.

"No! Of course not." Veronica speaks up rather loudly, sitting up on the bed suddenly, her whole body rejecting the idea of leaving Cheryl. "I love her." She admits softly, almost as if to herself more than Betty.

She's never spoken those words about anyone before. Hearing them out loud manifests a warm feeling in Veronica's chest. "I love her." She whispers, repeating herself. "I love Cheryl Blossom!" She perks up looking at her best friend who was sitting next to her, a large smile reflecting the one on her own face.

Betty places a gentle hand on Veronica's wrist. She stays silent, but the look she gives Veronica conveys it all. _TELL HER_. Veronica jumps off the bed searing for her bag, her phone is in here somewhere she thinks as she rummages around its contents. A silent "bingo" gesture is made upon retrieving the object she was looking for. She hits the speed dial to call her girlfriend, they needed to talk, and soon...

A phone buzzes on the table in front of where Cheryl, on the couch, and Jughead, on the floor, sit going over calculus study guides. They look up in tandem at the sudden noise intruding upon their quiet study session. They were in the middle of working on a particularly hard problem, neither of them speaking for over fifteen minutes, only frustrated grunts and furious erasing noise filling the space.

The incessant buzzing continues as Cheryl puts her book to the side, she sighs softly and mutters a quiet sorry to Jug, who merely nods in response signaling it's cool. Upon reading the name on the screen Cheryl rolls her eyes, hits ignore and places her phone down rather forcefully. This reaction causes Jughead to look up with slight concern and curiosity, "who's that?" He nods in the direction of the phone, laying idly on the table, no longer rattling with activity.

"Veronica." Cheryl sighs as she falls back against the couch with a huff. She places her hands over her face, trying to massage away the stress.

Jughead turns his body to face Cheryl more squarely. "Trouble in paradise?" His tone is light, as if to make a joke, but his face reveals his concern.

Cheryl drops her hands to her side, still staring at the ceiling. "Veronica is going through something, and she keeps pushing me away." She leans forward retrieving her book and papers, intending to get back to studying. "She wants her space? Then that's what I'm gonna give her." The irritation in her voice is clearly evident.

"But she just called you, maybe she wanted to talk." Jug offers shrugging his shoulders. He doesn't want to intervene, but he doesn't like seeing Cheryl so upset like this. It's been a long time since he's seen Cheryl so distraught. Ever since she started dating Veronica, Cheryl's been nothing short of a ray of sunshine, well she did have the occasional lightning bolt moment where she was fierce and calculating, but she's also the queen of Riverdale High, so what do you expect.

Cheryl pulls her legs up under here to sit cross legged. "She's probably just calling about wanting to meet up at Pop's later." She waves it off like it's no big deal.

Jughead leaves it alone, he knows Cheryl well enough to know she'll talk if and when she wants too. They resume studying as if nothing ever happened, although every now and then Cheryl would let out a disgruntled huff, surely do to the inner monologue in her head probably going over all the reasons Veronica could possibly be calling her for.

A few minutes later her phone rings again. It's Veronica again. She actually debates on whether or not to answer it this time. On the one hand she's genuinely curious about why she's calling, but on the other hand she wants to keep up this cold shoulder routine. Her finger hovers over the answer button until the phone stops ringing, and the missed call icon appears on the screen. Jughead is trying to discreetly watch from the floor, but she can feel his eyes on her, silently judging. "I don't need your condesention right now." It's supposed to be a firm, threatening even, demand, but the crack in her voice destroys any semblance of authority she could muster.

This prompts Jughead to rise from the floor, taking a seat next to Cheryl on the couch. He takes the book from her lap and sets it on the table in front of them. Grabs the phone out of her hand and places it next to the book. He takes her hands in his own, which cause a Cheryl to look at him in utter confusion. Jughead is not exactly a touchy-feely person, at least not with anyone besides Betty. It's a strange sensation feeling his hands in hers. Cheryl is confused to say the least.

"In my experience relationships are hard as hell, especially in times of turmoil. But what I do know is that both Veronica and you are some of the strongest people I know. If anyone can withstand some hardship, it's you two. Give her some time to come around, and if she doesn't? Do what Cheryl blossom does best, demand action." He uses one hand to downward point to add emphasis to his last two words, as if he was banging a gavel upon making a decree.

Cheryl laughs through her tears at this. She didn't even realize she started getting emotional, but Jughead's complete faith in her and Veronica's relationship made her teary eyed. Jughead doesn't get enough credit for how big his heart really is. He's been just a big a help getting her through her shit as Veronica has. And for that, she will be forever grateful...

"Still no answer?" Betty asks an increasingly distraught Veronica. Veronica shakes her head confirming Betty's suspicion. "She's probably just busy." Betty adds hoping to reassure her friend.

Veronica stands in the middle of Betty's room in silence for a moment. Betty's worry grows with each passing silent second. After a couple minutes Veronica mutters, "I've gotta go." She hastily gathers her things and leaves Betty's room without any other words. She's out the door so fast, Betty doesn't even have a chance to try to stop her...

Jughead and Cheryl got back to studying, books and papers sprawled across the floor. "Pops is starting to sound like a good idea right about now." Cheryl admits, her stomach beginning to rumble.

Jughead whole heartedly agrees, never having to think twice about getting food. "I'll call Betty." He says as he gets up from the floor, leaving the room a moment to retrieve his phone.

There's a banging on the door to Jugheads trailer. Jughead emerges from the kitchen, confused as to who might be at the door. Before he can make his way across the room, the door busts open wide revealing it's incessant knocker. Veronica Lodge.

Cheryl sits in shock, unable to move. Jughead takes a few steps away to give them some semblance of privacy, but even caring that Veronica just broke into his home.

Veronica makes her way across the room, eyes never leaving the redhead sitting on the floor. "This is not how I wanted to do this." She stares as she steps over the piles of papers separating them. She grabs Cheryl's hands and pulls her up off the floor. She takes Cheryl into her arms, pulling her as close to her body as possible. Veronica shakes one arm around Cheryl's back, and places the other on Cheryl's cheek. She never breaks eye contact, wanting to remember every second of this moment.

Cheryl's face expresses so much confusion and elation. Her breath hitches when Veronica touches her face. She feels her heart rate increase, and all her surrounding disappear. In that moment there is only her and Veronica. She forgets she's in Jughead's living room, forgets Jughead is probably just a few feet away in the other room. All she sees are those beautiful brown eyes staring at her like there's nothing else in the world. All she feels is Veronica's warm embrace, sending shivers all through her body. She's absolutely mesmerized, she almost misses the words Veronica says.

"I'm so sorry for pushing you away, and I know we have a lot to talk about, and we will, I promise. But o couldn't go any longer without saying this." Veronica expresses. She pauses a moment to make sure the words register with the girl in her arms. "I love you Cheryl Blossom. I love you so freaking much, I don't even know where to begin..."

Cheryl doesn't even give her a chance to figure it out, as she captures Veronica's lips between her own. There's more passion and hunger in this kiss than any they shared before.

There's a need to be closer, each girl pulling at each other to feel as connected as they can. Veronica is the first to break the kids, the need for air outweighing her need for Cheryl. She leans in on hopes to recapture Cheryl's lips when she's met with a finger placed over her own. "I love you too," Cheryl whispers, "Veronica Lodge." She adds with a playful wink. Veronica laughs, and Cheryl joins her in the jubilation. They exchange sloppy kisses between giggles.

Veronica spins them around only to lose her footing, slipping on one of the papers on the floor. Luckily, they fall on to the couch behind them with a laugh and more kisses. When Jughead awkwardly clears his throat, pulling their attention away from each other for the first time since Veronica entered the trailer. "Surely Veronica's bed would be more comfortable than my couch." He jokes insinuating they don't have sex on his couch.

"We should talk." Veronica says, her eyes back on her girlfriend who is sitting in her lap. Cheryl nods her head yes. She gets up and fathers her things, she makes a motion to clean up the mess of papers on the floor but Jughead waves her off, silently telling her he's take care of it. She gives him a hug and thanks him for his help, reassuring him they'd get together to study more before the big test. And moments later, hand in hand her and Veronica left the trailer, on their way to have a much-needed conversation, and to possibly relieve some long-built tension.

 **A/N: CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! 50 CHAPTERS! I am absolutely humbled by the response I've gotten to this fic. I posted this as a one shot way back when, with no intentions to expand upon it, but you saw the potential and asked for more. As primarily a one shot writer, this is by far the longest thing I've ever written. I have so much love for these characters and this story, and of course for all of you who read, review, like, share everything. You are the reason I keep writing this thing, because your kind words inspire and motivate me to keep going. Happy Valentines Day to you all, and if you don't have a Valentine this year, consider me your gal! I love you all so much! If you could, in honor of 50 chapters, please help me share this story so others can join us on the cheronica ship, and please leave me a comment with what your favorite moment/s have been thus far! Thank you again for all the amazing support! :D**


	51. The Talk

The sound of a soft thud fills the space between them as Veronica pins Cheryl against her bedroom door. Veronica had been anticipating this very moment the whole ride home. The car ride was short, _thank God_ , Veronica thought, but rather silent. They held hands over the center console and Cheryl played with her fingers as she quietly hummed along to the radio. A large goofy grin adorned both their faces as they reveled in the feeling of being young and in love. They were riding on a high which carried them the whole way home.

Veronica couldn't wait any longer, pouncing on her girlfriend the second they entered her bedroom. She needed to feel her, and to hold her close, to show her exactly how much she loved and missed her. It hadn't even been a full day they were fighting, but those hours of no contact or communication, really took a toll on her. Her hands grip Cheryl's waist as she pushes her against the door, their lips never breaking contact.

Cheryl found her hands instinctively wrapping around Veronica's neck and pulling her in closer, increasing the pressure behind their kiss. Spending the day away from her girlfriend was just as hard for Cheryl ad it as for Veronica. Cheryl didn't like having to keep her distance, but she knows the type of person she is, how if she didn't go full cold shoulder she would have been an overbearing nuisance, never letting Veronica rest, constantly asking her what's wrong, are you ok, let me help, to the point where Veronica wouldn't want anything to do with her. It wasn't her first time down this road. Cheryl learned from her past and tried a different approach in hopes to avoid that mess.

All of today's nonsense became irrelevant the moment they entered this room. Neither girl really focused on anything except each other. Hands and lips exploring any and all exposed flesh. Veronica manages to pull Cheryl's jacket off her shoulders without missing a stride, their tongues tangled in a rhythmic dance. Her hands snake around Cheryl's waist, her thumbs slipping under the fabric, tickling the small dimples on Cheryl's lower back. This action makes Cheryl squirm under her touch, her body arching away from the wall, pressing into Veronica's.

With the momentum in her favor, Cheryl takes the opportunity to reverse their positions, quickly rotating their bodies, pinning Veronica against the wall and stepping even closer, a knee between Veronica's legs. She trails kisses down Veronica's jaw, neck, clavicle. She stops a moment to unbutton Veronica's top, not all the way, but enough to gain access to the spot where wants to leave her mark, right above Veronica's left breast. As she begins to suck, Veronica's hands tangle in Cheryl's hair, nails gently scraping across her scalp the moment she bites Veronica's skin.

Satisfied, Cheryl places a kiss to the skin she just previously had between her teeth, before working her way back up to Veronica's lips, peppering kisses along the way. Upon reaching Veronica's lips she pauses to stare Veronica down. Her breathing is heightened, obviously aroused, and based off the way Veronica bites her lip, Cheryl can tell she is too. If it were any other day, and other time, that would be enough to continue, a greenlight and full speed ahead. Not today.

Veronica seems to understand the thought process going on in Cheryl's head, as she goes still, no longer sinking fingers into her skin. Cheryl sighs softly, leaning forward to press her forehead against Veronica's. They stand together, Veronica's hands gently gripping the bent elbows of Cheryl's arms which rest around her neck. "As much as I love this, as much as I love you." Her breath hitches, Cheryl still can't believe she's finally able to say those words aloud without fear. "We should really talk first."

Veronica nods, her forehead pressing further into Cheryl's. "I know." She whispers. She brings her hands up to caress Cheryl's cheeks, one hand tucking red hair behind her ear. It's quiet for a short moment, Veronica studying Cheryl's face, fingers tracing over her cheekbones. She leans in to place one final kiss to Cheryl's lips. "I love you." Veronica firmly states after pulling away. She takes Cheryl's hand in her own and leads her to the bed, so they can get comfortable. She knows this is going to be a long discussion.

Veronica sits up against the headboard and invites Cheryl to lay her head on her lap. She begins to play with Cheryl's hair with one hand while holding Cheryl's hand with the other. The position allows both girls to keep their hands busy, so as to not nervously fidget. Cheryl plays with Veronica's fingers, lacing and unlacing them with her own, gently massaging them. Veronica does the same with the hand tangled through red locks, establishing a slow steady rhythm. She exhales deeply before beginning, "after we got back from bowling, my mom informed me that my father has a probation hearing next week. If all goes well, he could be coming home soon." Veronica reveals, feeling somewhat relieved to finally speak the words that had been playing on repeat in her mind since her mother first spoke them the day before...

 _"Veronica, where have you been?" Hermione asked from the foyer._ __

 _Veronica turned around, awkwardly shifting the extra coats in her arms, before timidly addressing her mother. "I was out with my friends."_ __

 _"Where's Cheryl?" Hermione questioned with a seemingly feigned interest._ __

 _"She's Waiting for me in the car, we were on our way to Pop's to meet the others, just had to stop by for some extra layers first." Veronica answered lifting her coat filled arms for emphasis._ __

 _Hermione nodded in understanding as she uncrossed her arms and moved about the room to get closer to her retreating daughter. "Wait," she spoke stopping Veronica in her tracks._ __

 _Veronica didn't understand her mother's sudden interest in speaking to her. They had been ignoring each other for weeks. Something didn't feel right about this exchange, and within a few minutes Veronica would come to learn why. "Mom, Cheryl's waiting." She repeats, hoping to get off the hook for whatever this was._ __

 _"I just wanted you to know your father is coming home soon." Hermione states, crossing her arms once again. Her signature stance these days._ __

 _"What? How?" Veronica almost drops the coats in her arms due to her surprise. Her father still had years left on his sentence. He hadn't even served one year yet, how could he possibly be getting close to release?_ __

 _"Good behavior."_ __

 _Veronica rolls her eyes, a feeling of nausea growing in the pit of her stomach. "That's rich." Her voice is full of spite. She doesn't even bother to hide her dissatisfaction with the news her mother seems to clearly be happy about._ __

 _"Enough." Hermione spits, sterling Veronica. "I will not have any more of your disobedience over your father. Everything he has ever done has been about protecting and providing for you." The distance between the two of them seems even further given their opposing feelings about the situation._ __

 _Veronica takes a few steps forward, encroaching on her mother's space. "I don't understand why you're being so loyal to him all of a sudden." She steps even further, getting right up in her mother's personal bubble. "Need I remind you of the affair you were engaging in mere weeks ago?"_ __

 _Hermione is quiet. No response coming to mind. Veronica feels a checkmate, "Now of you'll excuse me, I've kept Cheryl waiting long enough." She turns to leave once again..._ _  
_  
Cheryl can see the stress building up in her girlfriend's shoulders. Her posture slumping more and more with each passing word. The fingers in her hair slow and eventually still as Veronica recalls the conversation she had with her mother yesterday. It's as if she's lost in the memory, reliving every moment, the feelings coming back to Her in real time. Cheryl steadies her hands which were playing with Veronica's. She places a kiss to her palm, which gets her attention, breaking her gaze across the room, and getting her to look down on Cheryl's eyes. "Why didn't you just tell me this before?" Seeing Veronica's physical reaction upon retelling the story she can certainly understand why she was upset, but she still doesn't get why Veronica felt the need to lie and push her away.

Veronica resumes the gentle scalp massage she was giving Cheryl humming softly. "A number of things I suppose." She pauses a moment, trying to figure out where to begin. "I've never been good at talking about my own emotions. I thought I could ignore it, maybe it'd go away. I was embarrassed about how I broke down." She mentions referring to the way she ruined what would have been their first time by crying. She has to look away from Cheryl, her cheeks flushing at the memory. "I guess I was also afraid to trigger you in any way." Veronica adds after a moment, the thought just coming to her mind, but agreeing with the sentiment just as much.

"What do you mean?" Cheryl asks, not exactly following Veronica's train of thought.

Veronica looks down at the girl in her lap, "by bringing up my daddy issues." She uses air quotes as best as she can with her hands tied up. "I didn't want to indirectly remind you of your own." She clarifies. They really do have a lot in common when it comes to corrupt patriarchs.

"I'm stronger than you give me credit for." Cheryl smirks as she sits up. "But I appreciate the sentiment." She leans forward and kisses Veronica softly. "I know why my dad sucks," she jokes making light out of an outright awful situation, but it's not about her issues at the moment, so she pushes through. "What makes your dad so bad?"

Veronica laughs sourly, letting out an audible uugghhh before saying. "Where do I begin?"

 **A/N: Hello all! Hope you've had a lovely week! Thank you so much for the feedback on chapter 50! It still blows my mind to see how far this story has come! You all give me so much inspiration and motivation to continue, so please if you enjoy this work and want more, keep the reviews coming! Also please keep sharing this story with your Riverdale friends! I'm on tumblr at jimalim, feel free to follow/talk to me there. I love making friends so hit me up! lol Hope you enjoyed this update**!


	52. Ready?

"Sounds like our dads had more in common than they thought. You think they would've gotten along." Cheryl dismally ponders after Veronica filled her in on Hiram Lodge's unethical business procedures. She was unaware of the connection between Ethel Mugg's father and Veronica's and hearing the details about how Hiram's corrupt deals negatively affected their family, to the point where Ethel's father would attempt suicide really opened her eyes to the severity of it all. She was beginning to understand why Veronica was so hesitant for him to come home. Learning the man you've loved and looked up to all your life has been nothing more than a façade to cover up the evil truth of his being is a devastating blow to your psyche, Cheryl knows this first hand.

Veronica half-heartedly laughs, amused by the rather sad reality of the whole situation. "Perhaps they had too much in common, which is why they were constantly at odds."

"Kinda like us?" Cheryl points out, alluding to the early days of their relationship as enemies, long before the events at Sweetwater River brought them together.

"No, _nothing_ like us." Veronica bends down to kiss the girl still resting in her lap. "I love you." She whispers again, repeating those words any chance she got. Feeling the butterflies in her stomach each time they pass her lips. The look in Cheryl's eyes upon hearing such words helped add to the fluttering sensation.

Cheryl sits up and moves to straddle Veronica's lap, taking her by the shoulders and pushing her further back into the headboard. Their lips meet again, this time a fiery passion building with each movement. Veronica's hands grip Cheryl's waist, pulling her down against her as much as possible. Her fingers curl under the trim of Cheryl's shirt, aching to remove it altogether. Cheryl breaks their kiss, so she can do just that.

Shirt discarded and tossed onto the floor, Cheryl's fingers find their way to the buttons on Veronica's blouse. Skipping over the previously opened top two, Cheryl's fingers make quick work of undoing the remaining buttons, revealing Veronica's tan skin and lacy bralette. Veronica sits up to let the shirt fall off her shoulders, recapturing Cheryl's lips in the process. Her hands explore pale flesh as she runs kisses up and down both sides of Cheryl's neck. She looks for a place to make her mark, it's only fair she returns the favor, _right?_ Ultimately deciding to be bold and going for the corner of Cheryl's jaw, right below her left ear, Veronica leans in an begins her routine.

Though she'll regret this action later upon seeing her reflection in the mirror, Cheryl rolls her head back, giving Veronica better access to that spot. She reaches around Veronica's body and finds the clasp to her bra. Before she gets the chance to unhook it, Veronica removes her lips from her neck and pulls back. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" She asks timidly, she's been dreaming about making love to her girlfriend for weeks, but more than anything she needs to know that Cheryl is ready to take this step. Sex is a totally normal and natural thing, but given the fact that Cheryl is still a virgin, Veronica understands the weight this situation carries. She wants to make sure Cheryl is comfortable and feels 100% in charge of her decision to do it or not.

The look in Cheryl's eyes give away her answer before she speaks. Her pupils dilated wide and her stare practically burning her skin. "Yes. I'm more than ready." Cheryl husks out, her voice low and seductive. Veronica is still as Cheryl's hands resume unhooking Veronica's bra. Their eyes never leave each other's the whole time. Cheryl wants to remember this moment, so she takes it slow, painfully slow for Veronica.

Cheryl unlatches the first hook then goes in for a kiss, reaffirming that this is what she wants, she's ready. Pulling away she unlatches the second hook, she kisses her again, longer and slower this time, before pulling away to unlatch the third and final clasp. She gently runs her fingers up Veronica's back, to her shoulders. She slips her fingers underneath the straps and pauses a moment, intensely staring in Veronica's eyes. She takes a deep breath.

Veronica has been still this whole time, letting Cheryl lead the way. She wants Cheryl to be in control and to pick and choose what she's ready for. Her breath gets more and more ragged with each passing breath. She has to really focus on her breathing to keep herself from losing it. When she feels Cheryl's fingers curl under her bra straps, she breathes in deep. In a moment she'll be stripped bare, completely vulnerable in front of Cheryl for the first time. It really makes her think about how different their relationship is in comparison to all the ghosts of her past. Cheryl wasn't just a drunken fling, or therapeutic sex, this was the real deal. In many ways this was Veronica's first time as well.

Her first time in a real committed relationship, her first time really being in love, and now her first time being truly intimate with someone not only physically but emotionally. She just spent the past two hours venting about her father and all their newfound issues. Discussing the conflict of always being daddy's little girl, but now despising the man he had secretly always been. She had never been so open and honest with anyone about her feelings, and her fears, before. Never once did she feel like she had to censor herself, Cheryl made her feel safe and strong enough to say the words that's been haunting her for months aloud for the first time. Cheryl is so much more than anyone else has ever been in her life.

All these thoughts and realizations flood her mind in this moment, and it makes it all the more special.

Which is exactly why she can't follow through with this yet. There's more to the story, and she can't leave Cheryl in the dark just for the sake of pleasure. Veronica places her hands over Cheryl's before she can pull off her bra completely. "Wait."

Cheryl looks at her in complete confusion, and Veronica can tell she's silently freaking out. She brings Cheryl's hands in front of her and kisses her palms. "There's something else I should tell you before we do this." She takes in a deep breath, and Cheryl braces for impact. "You have to move out..."

…

 _Hermione is quiet. No response to Veronica's threat coming to mind. Veronica feels a checkmate, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've kept Cheryl waiting long enough." She turns to leave once again, when her mother finally breaks her silence. "About that, Cheryl needs to leave."_

 _Veronica stops in her tracks, whirling around in a rage. "What?"_

" _Don't act so surprised. You know, you're lucky I didn't kick her out weeks ago." Veronica opens her mouth to challenge, but Hermione cuts her off before she can begin, "I'm not ignorant, I know what's been going on between you two. I don't approve, and neither will your father."_

 _Veronica can't say she's exactly surprised her mother knew, it's not like they were hiding their relationship, and nothing stays secret in Riverdale for long, it was only a matter of time before the word reached the Lodge matriarch. What she didn't understand was her mother's resistance to the news. "Since when do you care if I date girls? It didn't bother you when you made me chase after Nichole St. Clare, or was that because it benefitted the family business?" At the time she may have been unaware of what kind of background deals were going on there, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20, and there's no doubt in her mind there was shady shit going down per that whole arrangement._

" _It's not that Cheryl's female," Hermione clarifies, "it's that she's a Blossom. You know what those people did to your father."_

" _HE DESERVED IT!" Veronica explodes at her mother, "And those people didn't include Cheryl. She's an innocent victim in this." She's sick and tired of people making Cheryl out to be the devil just because of her family name. If they only knew… "Do you not remember why she came to stay here in the first place?!"_

 _Hermione is quiet once again, no doubt calculating which response would be best. Veronica is furious, her mother's insistence that no Blossom is good, made her sick. Her mother takes a few steps forward to loom ominously over Veronica. "Your father's hearing is next week. If-when" she corrects, confident he will be cleared, "he is released and scheduled to come home, she's out of here. End. Of. Discussion." She leaves the room without any other word._

 _Veronica feels defeated. It doesn't matter how hard she fights; her parents will never budge. It hits her that Cheryl is inevitably going to have to leave. Her mother is right, this was an arrangement that always had an expiration date, but it was a fact she pushed out of her mind for the longest time. Not only did she have to deal with the fact that her father is coming home and figuring out how that change in family dynamic will affect her given everything she's learned about her father since his initial jailing, but now the one person who could help her through it all is forced to leave and go where? Back to her abusive mother? Veronica was not ready to face the reality of it all. Her girlfriend was waiting in the car. Her friends were waiting at the diner. Now was not the time for emotion, she had appearances to keep, she was a Lodge after all._

 **A/N: Hello! Sorry for being such a tease again, I swear I'm not doing it on purpose, it's just what feels natural for these characters. So this is it! The arc I kept talking about was centered around this exact point, I'm glad it's finally out there. Did any of you guess it correctly? let me know! I hope you enjoyed this update and you have a good rest of your weekend! As always thanks for your support/feedback, please please please share this and help spread the word! Much love to all of you! 3**


	53. It's Time

"Wait." Veronica stops Cheryl's momentum dead in her tracks.

Cheryl looks at her in complete confusion, and Veronica can tell she's silently freaking out. She brings Cheryl's hands in front of her and kisses her palms. "There's something else I should tell you before we do this." She takes in a deep breath, and Cheryl braces for impact. "You have to move out..."

"What?" Cheryl barely whispers, it's so quiet, she's not even sure she actually said the word at all. She shifts her weight off her knees back onto her ankles, sitting fully on Veronica's lap. There's a storm of emotions clouding her mind, and nothing feels real anymore. She hardly hears Veronica's voice as she no doubt explains what this means. The words hit her but don't quite register. 'Mom' 'father' 'home' 'can't be here' 'Blossom' it's like she's underwater and can only hear brief bits between the muffled sounds.

Cheryl removes her hands from Veronica's grip and move to her own back. With a swift motion she removes her bra and leans forward to do the same to her girlfriend. Veronica stops her, holding her wrists. "What are you doing?" She asks incredulously. She's completely dumbfounded at Cheryl's actions.

"What, your mother already thinks you're screwing a Blossom, we might as well give her a real reason to be mad." Cheryl's spots out with more aggravation than she expected, she once again moves to reach around Veronica's back.

"No!" Veronica pushes Cheryl back, "this is not how we're going to do this." The tears begin to build in her eyes. She can see the pain in Cheryl's eyes, she's trying to push it away, to forget what was just said. Veronica knows this tactic all too well. It's the same kind of avoidance she's done so many times, the same kind she tired just the other night. It kills Veronica to know that Cheryl feels _that_ helpless in this moment.

Cheryl sits back, not even bothering to cover her chest. "So, it's ok for you to fuck your problems away, but I can't?" She throws her hands up in exasperation. She just wants to feel something other than the impending dread that keeps growing in the pit of her stomach, the desperation, the fear. She just wants to feel something positive, something good. They were already going down this road, why stop now?

"Cheryl, babe-" Veronica coos, her tears now falling, but she refuses to let that break her. She reaches out for Cheryl's hands again, the girl is reluctant at first, but ultimately lets Veronica tan them in her own. "This won't change anything." Her voice is soft, and yet surprisingly strong given the emotions she's fighting to hold back. "You don't really want it to happen like this." Her eyes never leave Cheryl's both for emphasis, and for fear of looking elsewhere and losing any strength she has at this point.

Cheryl's own tears begin to fall as reality begins to set in. She hangs her head in shame, embarrassed about what she just tried to do. She feels Veronica shift underneath her, then her arms wrapped around her, whispering "we will figure this out, we still have time, we knew this was coming, it will be ok." Repeating positive affirmations in her ear. Cheryl leans into the embrace, while still keeping her hands over her face, too embarrassed to remove them. Her body racks with sobs as she lets herself feel. It's a role reversal situation that's reminiscent of the night before, Cheryl having the breakdown this time. Now she understands why Veronica was so upset, it wasn't solely because she was worried about her father coming home, but because she knew what that meant in regard to their living situation. The realization is somewhat comforting for Cheryl, as bittersweet as it is, knowing Veronica cares that much about her to be that effected by the news. She gains a new-found appreciation for Veronica in that moment. Cheryl shivers upon feeling Veronica's hand slowly running over her spine. Suddenly realizing just how exposed she is. She gets self-conscious, pulling back, crossing her arms over her chest to cover up.

Veronica lightly laughs at this, because fuck if her girlfriend isn't so insanely beautiful, it's silly that she feels the need to hide. She holds up a finger to suggest 'one second' before removing her own bra so Cheryl was no longer the only one half naked. Cheryl's eyes widen, and Veronica knows she's nervous despite the obvious confusion she's giving off. Veronica shrugs, "now we're even." She takes Cheryl's hands again, slowly pulling them away from her girlfriend's chest, them both sat bare on the middle of the bed. Veronica lets her eyes wander over her girlfriend's body, taking in her beauty. A large smile plastered on her face, eyes practically twinkling with desire.

"I still want to do this." Cheryl breaks the silence, the confidence coming back to her voice. "For real." She adds, boldly tracing one hand down Veronica's bare chest, past the part in her breasts, across her stomach, all before landing on her clothed thigh. She looks up into Veronica's eyes, not needing to track her hand movement any further as it just rests, patiently waiting for the go ahead.

Veronica looks up at Cheryl, taking in a deep breath. "You're positive?" she asks, once again wanting to make sure Cheryl is making this decision for herself, not because she feels pressured or upset.

Cheryl nods her head enthusiastically, "Yes." She whispers seductively, or at least as best she can with tear stains on her face. Veronica let's out another soft laugh, her hands going straight to cup Cheryl's cheeks. Even with red swollen cheeks, Cheryl is still the most gorgeous sight she'd ever laid her eyes on.  
Their lips meet for practically the millionth time that night, however it felt like they were meeting for the first time ever. Like uncharted waters and they were both lost at sea.

They take it slow, spending time really getting to familiarize themselves with the parts of each other's bodies that they've yet to discover. Cheryl quietly asks Veronica to guide her and Veronica is more than happy to oblige. She wants to make this experience special and memorable for Cheryl, she deserves that and so much more. Veronica takes Cheryl's hands and directs them to the places she likes to be touched, quietly moaning any time Cheryl did something right, and louder still when she was _very_ right. This gave Cheryl the confidence she needed, as she began to move her hands about Veronica's skin without company. Her lips moved in tandem with her hands, following the path her hands traced down then back up again. She wants to taste every inch of skin. She might be new to this, but it felt like she had done this before, maybe it was all those explicit dreams that was helping her out.

When Cheryl's hands land on Veronica's waist band, the girl beneath her stops her. "Tonight, is about _you_." Veronica breathes before flipping them over in a rather impressive fluid motion. Cheryl's head lands on the pillow and she's memorized by the view of Veronica hovering over her. She can't help but laugh a bit which puts a huge smile on Veronica's face, smirking devilishly before she bends down to connect her lips to Cheryl's.

The first time Cheryl moans, Veronica has to take a moment to reestablish herself. Hearing that sound come out of her girlfriend, knowing she's the reason behind it, _fuck_ , it drives her wild. She makes quick work of exploring the skin that's already revealed, anxious to get to what's still covered. She's as gentle as can be, even in her quicker pace, and Cheryl certainly isn't complaining.

Veronica slows down once she reaches Cheryl's belt, _of course_ she wore jeans today. She slowly unhooks the clasp with her hands as she continues to place kisses all over Cheryl's chest. First the buckle, then the button, finally the zipper. She teases Cheryl by slipping one hand underneath the jeans above her underwear. Cheryl's back arches at the contact. This wasn't going to take long Veronica thought. She removes her hand just as quickly as she put it there in the first place. She hears Cheryl whimper at the loss of contact. Veronica moves her attention to Cheryl's lips taking them in between her own, kissing her hungrily until the need to breathe becomes prominent.

Cheryl runs her nails across Veronica's back, gently scratching at her rib cage. As Veronica travels lower, trailing kisses down her torso, Cheryl's hands grip the sheets underneath her. Her hands clenching and unclenching periodically as the waves of pleasure wash over her body. Veronica finally grabs hold of Cheryl's jeans and pulls them down, further and further still, until Cheryl helps her take them all the way off, lifting her legs high enough for Veronica to slip them over her ankles...

Veronica was right it didn't take long, but hell if it wasn't the most glorious few minutes. After Cheryl orgasms she tries to return the favor, but Veronica just wanted to treat her girl tonight. "Next time baby." They lay in each other's arms, Cheryl's head tucked into Veronica's neck, her arms wrapped around Veronica's waist, her fingers playing with the waist band of her underwear, tickling the skin there. Veronica had on arm wrapped around Cheryl's shoulders, and the other laying on Cheryl's waist. She places a kiss a top Cheryl's head. "I love you."

Cheryl hums against Veronica's neck before she kisses her there. "I love you too." She tightens her arms around Veronica's waist, pulling her closer.

Neither of them wants to say the words that are on their mind, but it's like a silent truth that both can hear fill the air between them, _'I'm gonna miss this.'_ As the facts of reality slowly creep their way back to the forefront of their minds. _'Everything's about to change.'_

 **A/N: Hey y'all! Sooooo...lol I figured I'd kept you waiting long enough lol As I've stated before, I do not write explicit smut, this is actually the most I've ever written in regards to sexual activity, so please be gentle with me lol I don't feel as though I have the authority to write smut properly, plus it's just something I find uncomfortable to write so this is the best I can do. Thanks for your understanding and patience, I know I've been teasing it these past couple chapters. I hope it was worth the wait lol Thanks for all the support! Please keep sharing and commenting! Much love to you all! 3**


	54. Love

Waking up in Veronica's arms was always Cheryl's favorite part of the day. The feeling of having someone who loved and cared for her holding her close to keep her safe and warm. It was the best feeling Cheryl has ever experienced. Although today that feeling was even better than usual.

Still undressed from their activities from the night before, the feeling of skin on skin contact was both exhilarating and calming at the same time. She never felt closer to anyone than she was right now in this moment. Physically they couldn't get any closer, Cheryl, wrapped up in Veronica's embrace, whose naked chest was pressed firmly against her back, nose tickling her neck. But also, mentally, emotionally.

Never in her life had Cheryl felt so comfortable and safe around someone who wasn't her twin brother. Cheryl didn't have to hide her feelings around Veronica, instead, she actively chose it share them with her. It was a real 180 shift in personality. Veronica had changed Cheryl for the better. Her influence and support allowed her to blossom, for lack of a better word, into a different person, one who was kind and understanding, strong yet vulnerable, and most importantly loving and loved.

She feels Veronica stir behind her, her change in breathing, and her lips against her shoulder. "Goooodmorning" Veronica murmurs, voice still groggy. She squeezes Cheryl tight for a moment before relaxing her muscles, her hand finds Cheryl's and interlocks their fingers.

"Morning." Cheryl hums, a quiet laugh escapes her lips. Sleepy Veronica is the cutest.

"How are you feeling?" Veronica asks, pulling Cheryl back so she can see her face.

Cheryl smirks, "veeerry good" she stretches for emphasis, throwing a wink her girlfriend's way.

Veronica giggles and kisses Cheryl's cheek. "No, I meant what we talked about."

A bleak 'oh' cuts the flirty atmosphere, and suddenly Cheryl's no longer riding the high that carried her through the night. Reality sets in lime a time of bricks falling from the sky.

Veronica senses the change in Cheryl's demeanor and does her best to try to cheer her up, "hey, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just know we didn't really discuss it at length. I wanted to make sure you were okay with it all." She places another kiss to Cheryl's shoulder, holding her tight.

Cheryl rolls over to directly face Veronica. "We knew this was coming, and that we would 'cross that bridge when we get there' but we still have time." She gently traces the curve of Veronica's cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Let's just enjoy this while we can, yeah?" Veronica nods before pulling her in for a kiss...

Entering Riverdale High hand in hand grabs the attention of the students milling about the halls. Yesterday their entrance got the rumor mills running as word of a breakup spread from classroom to classroom. Today, turning heads as usual, the chatter starts again, this time singing the song of a reunion, the queen bees reunited (and it feels so good) Order now restored to the power balance of Riverdales social hiearchy, Cheryl and Veronica resting on top of the pyramid no longer scathed by broken hearts.

The girls laugh at how many people were so invested in their love life. They aren't sure whether to be flattered or disturbed. As long as no one is being extra creepy, they suppose flattery is alright.

"I should have figured by the whispering that you two were here." Betty greets her friends as she approaches the couple convened at Cheryl's locker.

"Hey B!"  
"Betty!"  
Veronica and Cheryl let out respectively, greeting the blonde. "Hey, have you seen Jug? I have his calc notebook. Grabbed it in the rush to leave our study session last night." Cheryl asks, pulling the notebook from her bag.

"Yea he's at the Blue and Gold." Betty reveals, having just come from that direction.

"Great thanks, I'm gonna run this to him before the bell. See you later love." She turns her attention to Veronica and kisses her cheek before turning to Betty, "Later Betts!" She squeezes her arm before walking around her to head towards the Blue and Gold's office.

Betty smirks as she turns her attention to Veronica, who was staring off at Cheryl's retreating form. "So..." Betty drags out, hoping to get the attention of her friend.

Veronica looks at her curiously. "What?" They take off down the hall toward Veronica's locker.

"Seriously? You're not gonna fill me in?" Betty asks rather annoyed.

"As if you don't already know. I'm sure Jug told you everything." Referring to the events that unfolded in the Jones trailer the evening before.

Betty rolls her eyes, she did know but she wanted to hear it from Veronica herself, "come on V, I'm your best friend. This is what we do. Now spill." She's giddy, and Veronica finds it adorable how much her own friend, much like the random students of Riverdale High, was invested in her love life.

"After I left your place I went to Jughead's trailer, pretty much let myself in and told Cheryl how I felt." She sees Betty squint her eyes at her choice of wording, almost as if to say, 'don't hold back any details so Veronica clarifies, "I told her I love her."

This earned a wide, goofy smile from Betty, that's what she wanted to hear. " _And..._ " she asks Veronica to continue.

Veronica chuckles at her friend's enthusiasm. "She said it back, and after our movie moment, we went back to my place, talked it out, and then, you know... things _happened_." Veronica's not sure if she should say it, she knows how uncomfortable Betty gets about sex talk. She recalls the time Betty specifically asked her not to tell her about her sex life with Cheryl and chooses to not disclose that information.

Betty seems to understand the insinuation as she straightens up and drives her that look that's both disapproving and proud. "So, everything is good with you two then?" It's more of a statement than a question, but there is a small hint of doubt in her voice. Since Betty still doesn't know what her friends were fighting about in the first place, she's not sure if the problem has been completely fixed.

"Yeah, yeah. Um, I guess I can let you in now." Veronica reassures Betty before revealing what's been bothering her, "My father is scheduled for release pretty soon, probation." Betty's face drops into a sympathetic smile. "You know how I feel about him," Veronica alludes to the time they figured out how Hiram was involved in Ethel Muggs' father's suicide attempt. Betty was there for her through that whole realization period, finding out just how corrupt her father really was. Why she felt the need to hide the information of his return from her, after everything she did to help her through that time, Veronica isn't exactly sure. Probably cause her main focus at the time was getting Cheryl back. "I just didn't really know how to process the news and I took it out on Cheryl. But we've talked it through and she really helped me come to terms with it."

"That's good. I'm glad she was there for you." Betty reaches out and places a hand on Veronica's arm. "I am too if you ever need me. And Archie and Jug would be happy to help too. You don't have to go through this stuff alone V," she squeezes her arm for extra reassurance, "what are friends for, if not a helpful distraction from the harsh realities of life."

Veronica didn't understand why she was suddenly so emotional, maybe it was the relief of hearing that she doesn't have to carry all the burden by herself, maybe it's because she's in love, maybe it's cause she's never had a better group of friends to have these types of meaningful conversations with, maybe it was a combination of all the things. All Veronica knew was how grateful she was to have these people in her life, Cheryl, Betty, Archie, even Jughead, as much as she likes to tease him. They were the best friends she could ask for, light years better than the manipulative and opportunistic people she surrounded herself with in New York. These people actually cared about her in a deep meaningful way, as opposed to the superficial and surface level of friendship the party crowd she once reigned over ever gave her.

In a lot of ways, she felt never felt Deserving of anything more, because of how horrible of a person she was. But coming to Riverdale really changed her perspective on friendship, and life in general. "This is why you're my best friend Betty. You're so good to me in a way I never thought I deserved to be treated. I'm forever grateful to have you in my life."

Betty awws, "Same. Love you V." She embraces Veronica in a tight hug to show her love and appreciation. After pulling away she laughs changing subject, "Gah! I still can't believe Cheryl said she loves you! There was a time I didn't think that girl was capable of that emotion."

Veronica joins Betty in the laughter. "Me too, and honestly I didn't think I would be able to say those words either."

"Goes to show how good you too are for each other. You're both better for and because of one another."

The cheesy smile on Betty's face is enough to make Veronica cringe. "I could say the same thing about you and a certain dark mysterious writer man."

Betty waves her off, "This isn't about me and Jug. But I do have to agree with you there."

With the bell about to ring, the girls quickly finish up at Betty's locker before making their way to English. Veronica was happy with her life, content with where she was and where she was going. It still scared her know that a huge part of the normalcy she's come to love over these past few months was about to change, but it was comforting to know she had a group of lovely people to support and care for her throughout the transition. With friends like these, nothing really seemed _that_ scary.

 **A/N: Hey all! So I know with the rise of Choni/Cheroni the appeal of Cheronica isn't as strong as it used to be, but I promise to keep updating this fic until I find the proper way to end it. I'm excited to see Cheryl get the love she so desperately needs on the show, sad it couldn't have been with Veronica, but I'm still excited nonetheless. I hope you enjoy this little update! As always thanks for the support, keep commenting and sharing! It's important now more than ever to keep this story relevant lol much love to all of you still reading after all this time! I appreciate each and every one of you so much! For any new people who may be reading this, welcome to the family! Much love to you all!**


	55. A Favor

"Hey sorry for bailing last night." Cheryl apologizes to Jughead once finding him in the Blue and Gold office. She feels bad for leaving their study session so abruptly the night before. She promised to help him with calc, but they didn't exactly have much of a chance to dive into the material before Veronica made her grand entrance in the trailer.

Jughead standing near the window across the room, flipping through the pages of a book, looks up and chuckles upon seeing his visitor, "if you didn't bail after that show, I would have been concerned." He turns his attention back to the book in hand, thoughtfully searching for something. As much as he really does need to prepare for that exam, he's glad his friend was happy again. As much as Jughead enjoys spending time with Cheryl, she has a tendency to be a complete buzzkill when things with Veronica aren't going well.

"In my hurry to leave I accidently grabbed your notebook." With the object in hand, Cheryl extends her arm in Jughead's direction.

Once again, he looks up, having spent enough time with Cheryl Jughead can tell she obviously has something to say. He knows he's not going to get any more research done before class starts so he sets his book down on the table between them, grabs the notebook with a grateful nod and places it in his open bag that sat atop the table. "I hope this means things are good with you and Veronica again." Directing the conversation back to the reason Cheryl left in the first place, figuring that had something to do with the weird anxious vibe she's giving off.

Cheryl fidgets with her backpack strap as she answers rather unconvincingly, "right yes they are." It's like she's _not actually happy?_ Jughead grows concerned.

"But?" He pries, knowing that besides Veronica, he is Cheryl's go to confidant when it comes to things. Judging by her facial expression, he can tell there's a lot more going on in her head than she's leading on.

"Well," Cheryl is unsure of where to begin. She sits at the table, gesturing to the chair nearest her for Jug to do the same. "I have to ask a favor of you, and it's a little-" she trails off not knowing the correct word to describe the task she wants of him. Her body language is enough to reveal its importance, as Jughead leans forward and asks her to go on in response.

"Hiram Lodge is returning to Riverdale," This bit of information alone is enough to draw fierce concern all over Jughead's face. Cheryl continues, "and it seems within the week I'll be out of a place to live," Jughead swallows nervously, clearing his throat. He thinks he knows what's coming, and he's not opposed to it, but there's still a lot of uncertainty in his mind. Cheryl can see the gears turning in his head as he tries to calculate the pro vs con ratio, she lightly laughs which causes him to mentally stop, looking at her with a reserved confusion. "Relax, Jug. Let me finish." She adds, clearly understanding what his apprehension is about, but reassuring that he doesn't need to go there, as that's not the favor she's about to ask. "I'm sure Veronica's gonna try to convince you to let me stay with you," There is is. " _ **but**_ I need you to let her know that's not a possibility."

Jughead seems a bit perplexed by this as his brow furrows and his face scrunches. He leans back a bit, bobbing in his seat as he decides what exactly to say. "I mean you are welcome to stay with me if you want, I know it's not much, but it's a room at least." He offers, somehow less anxious about the prospect given he's had the chance to allow it as opposed to Cheryl inviting herself. Jughead understands the real weight of this situation, and while he feels bad for even hesitating offering Cheryl a safe place to stay, he values their friendship enough to know how that type of living situation could potentially upset the balance in not only their relationship, but all their friends, given who they are dating.

"I really appreciate that Jug." Cheryl sweetly smiles and gives his hand that rests atop the table a quick squeeze. "But I actually think it's time I returned to Thornhill, I can't keep running forever." It was the first time she said it out loud. No one knew of her decision, not even Veronica, until now. She thought long and hard about this since learning the truth about Hiram's return. She wasn't going to let anyone convince her otherwise, her mind was made.

Jughead, while surprised by Cheryl's insistence on returning home, he doesn't question her about it _yet_ , knowing that once Cheryl arrives at a decision, she's determined to see it through. Curious, he diverts course, "So Veronica doesn't know that's what you're planning to do." It's more of a statement than a question, figuring through the context of her previous remark that was exactly the case. Cheryl nods, confirming Jughead's suspicion. Given that it seems to be clear that he's the only one who knows of this information, Jughead feels like he has to at least confirm that this is what Cheryl really wants to do. Being the voice of reason, he questions, "Are you sure going back home is a good idea? Never mind Veronica's guaranteed opposition, but your mother?"

Besides Veronica, Jughead was the only person who knew of the details of her relationship with her mother. How toxic and abusive she was. He knew the details of what happened the day she left Thornhill almost three months ago. He had every right to be concerned about her decision to go back there, _because_ of everything he knew. She would be surprised if he wasn't at least somewhat opposed to her plan, and she's grateful that he actually is. Jughead really was her best friend, besides her girlfriend of course, but it's always good to have someone who's less emotionally invested for their own personal reasons and feelings, and more invested just because they genuinely care about your own well-being. Jughead truly was that person for her, the last person she ever would have expected to become that important anchor in her life.

When she first opened up to Jughead about her past, he, much like Veronica, immediately went into protective mode, rambling off numerous child abuse statistics, because of course he knows that off the top of the head, that's why he's such a good reporter Cheryl thought. He then wrapped her up in what was probably supposed to be a comforting hug but given the newness of their friendship at the time, it felt a little more awkward. He even went as far as offering to go with her to the police. It was all very sweet and eye-opening for Cheryl. Something about his reaction really resonated with her. Perhaps it was just the fact that for a change someone actually seemed to care about her well-being, although she knew if she was being honest with herself it was more likely due to the fact that in the moment, he reminded her of Jason.

Sometime between the events at Sweetwater River and that moment in time, Jughead had unknowingly assumed the role of protective brother in Cheryl's life. He was there for her in so many ways that Jason once was. Not only did he offer an ear for those times when Veronica alone wasn't enough, but he was just there for the mundane things too. They were able to have these deep, and sometimes dark conversations, as well as just having fun goofing off. It was a great balance in communication.

In trusting Jughead with this information about her plans to return to Thornhill, Cheryl hoped to curb any backlash he might receive from Veronica when she inevitably freaks out after learning she decided to return home. While staying with Jughead is the obvious, and possibly even safest choice, Cheryl knows that she has to face her mother someday, no point in delaying it any longer. She understands the danger, and if it comes to it, she'll leave again. The point of going home is more about facing her fears and standing up for herself, something she never felt she could do before, than about not wanting to be a burden on whoever she would end up staying with besides. Now that Cheryl has a support system behind her, she feels confident that she is strong enough to face her mother and to refuse to be treated the way she's been in the past, to demand some respect.

She explains this reasoning to Jughead who nods along, understanding and acknowledging her decision as her own right. He doesn't try to talk her out of it or convince her of a 'better' alternative plan. He merely listens, nods, and offers some kind words in support. "If anything goes wrong or you ever change your mind, my place is always available." He reiterates before throwing in a shy compliment, "I'm proud of you."

"What?" Cheryl asks for clarification as well as elaboration in a smug tone.

Knowing what Cheryl was doing, Jughead smirks. "You heard me."

Cheryl continues to tease, "I heard Jughead Jones say he's proud of me, but surely I'm mistaken, Jughead would nev—"

He cuts her off because although he always enjoys sparing a few rounds with the queen of sass, he really did have a sentimental point he was trying to make. "Shut up. Look, you might not think it, but you've always been one of the strongest people I know. Never taking shit from anybody, except your parents," he says meekly, "but now you're gonna show your mother the Cheryl Blossom the rest of Riverdale fears, it's honestly pretty admirable."

Cheryl playfully scoffs, "You know, for a writer, that wasn't a very eloquent compliment." She just won't let it go, and Jughead laughs at her persistence.

He continues to stay sober, refusing to let Cheryl reduce his meaningful statement to that of a joke. "So, I could have said it better, but you got the gist, right?" He is adamant that Cheryl really hear his words and understand that she's stronger than she realizes, always has been, and that's something Jughead wishes he had more of, strength, perhaps having Cheryl in his life helped him grow in that respect as well, and for that he's thankful.

Cheryl smiles affectionately, "Yes Jug, thank you."

Relieved she finally gave up, Jughead relaxes back into his chair, resting his arms behind his head. Changing lanes, while still staying on the topic at hand, he questions, "So when are you gonna break the news to your girlfriend?"

"Lunch."

 **A/N: Hey all! I hope you had a lovely weekend! I wanted to get this update in for you as my work schedule is starting to pick up again. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, Jughead and Cheryl being bffs is something I never knew I needed until I started writing this fic, now they are one of my favorite pairings to write for. As mentioned in my last AN, I promise to keep updating this fic through fruition. I know with the rise of Choni, the interest in Cheronica has died down, but I'm determined to not let that stop me. That's why I need to ask for your help to keep me motivated! Please send me comments, favorites, share my tumblr posts (jimalim) about this fic if you're on there (I only get like 2 likes on any YNA post, if any, over there and it's the woooorrrsssttt) I am also planning on writing some choni stuff, mostly drabbles and headcanons, there's no way I'd be able to juggle multiple multichaps, so if you're into that keep an eye out! I've already written one called Love, Choni it's posted here if you wanna check it out! As always, thanks for reading/the support! Much love to y'all! Let's keep Cheronica alive**


	56. Changes

By the time lunch rolls around, the chatter about Riverdale's it couple being back together pretty much died, everyone now informed of the most recent development in Veronica and Cheryl's love life. That didn't stop the people from staring any time they walked past though. Veronica could feel their eyes burning holes into the back of her head as they watched her make her way across the cafeteria sans Cheryl, who was running late.

"Ok so," Veronica begins as everyone takes their seat at their usual lunch table. She runs her hands over her thighs, smoothing out her skirt. "I think it's best, in order to avoid any more drama, to let you guys in on what's been going on at the Pembroke." She folds her hands and rest them on the table in front of her, every micro detail of her body language radiating of calm nerves. She's treating this like an important business meeting.

Jughead is the first to notice Veronica's quirks, he chooses to lighten the mood by poking fun. "We don't need to hear about you and Cheryl's sex life."

"Shut up." Veronica fires back, not interested in his games today. She actually has something serious to say, and she wants them to listen. Jug seems to understand where this conversation is going, given the information Cheryl shared with him this morning. He immediately backs down, nodding his apology.

"What are we shutting up about?" Cheryl quirks as she finally reaches the table, standing behind Veronica as she waits for her and Archie to split, making room for her to sit between them.

"Nothing! Of importance," Veronica assures as Cheryl sits down and takes a bite of a baby carrot. "but now that you're here, I was going to fill the others in on my father."

Cheryl looks at her girlfriend with a surprised, but sympathetic smile. "Oh yea, if you're comfortable with that." She takes Veronica's hand in her own under the table, giving her a supportive squeeze.

Veronica turns her attention back to the rest of the gang sitting at the table as she continues. "So, it's no secret my father has done some awful things," they all knew about her father's shady business dealings whether Veronica told them it not, word was around Riverdale, his reputation a hot topic in the small town gossip farms. "and to be honest will probably continue to do those things even now that he's coming home."

"Wait, he's getting out early?!" Archie exclaims, the only one at the table not privy to this information.

"Yep." Veronica answers, popping the p. But that's not the worst of it. My mother is forcing Cheryl to move out." She turns her attention back to Cheryl, a sad smile on her face. Cheryl learns forward and kisses her cheek before snuggling up in her side.

"Where are you going to go?" Betty questions. "I'd offer you stay in Polly's room, but given our family history, I don't think my mom would allow it." She frowns, genuinely feeling bad that their parents fucked up feud prevents them from being the proper family they really are.

Cheryl smiles sweetly at Betty, grateful for her concern. "No worries cousin Betty, I've actually decided to return to Thornhill." She speaks it into existence with as much confidence as she can muster, knowing full well that the girl next to her was about to explode with opposition.

"What?!" Veronica exclaims, pulling Cheryl by the shoulder, forcing her to look her in the face.

"Ronn, please," Cheryl places her hand on Veronicas thigh. "let's not get into this here." Her voice is soft and pleading. Her intention to tell her at lunch was in hopes that Veronica wouldn't go full nuclear in the company of their friends. Looks like she underestimated Veronica's need for self-preservation.

"No we're absolutely going to." Veronica boldly insists pulling away from Cheryl, not letting her touch try to calm her down. "I'm not letting you go back to that hell hole and to your demon of a mother."

"Babe, I can handle it. I'm so much stronger now than I was when I left." Cheryl pleads with her to relax.

"That may be true, but I'm still not letting you willingly subject yourself to her abuse."

"It's not like I really have a choice. Ronn, I have to face her eventually." Cheryl knows exactly what Veronica is gonna suggest next before the girl even opens her mouth to protest. Which is exactly why she countered this move this morning by having that one on one with Jughead.

"What about Jughead?" Veronica asks exasperatedly, she turns her attention to the boy in question, addressing him directly, pleading desperately. "You've got a spare room, could Cheryl stay with you?"

"Veronica!" Cheryl interjects, lightly swatting her upper arm in a scolding manner. "You can't just ask someone to take on a roommate like that," She grabs Veronica's should and physically turns her around to look her in the eyes. "plus, I already discussed that with him and it's not an option."

Confused, Veronica throws her hands up. "What do you mean it's not an option? He lives alone." She turns back to the boy across the table, silently demanding an explanation.

"Umm, my dad's coming home too?" It's a weak lie and they all know it. He and Cheryl didn't exactly practice what to say when this conversation happened. Now, Jughead is regretting that mistake. Normally he's pretty good at improvisation in situations like this, however the wrath of Veronica Lodge is enough to stunt his ability this time.

Cheryl lets out a disappointed sigh, laying her head in her hands. Betty and Archie stare at Jughead with increasing confusion. Jughead quietly yay's unconvincingly and smiles as if to show his excitement. Veronica, fed up starts pointing fingers. "What's going on here?"

"I-"

Jughead begins, promptly getting cut off by a disappointed Cheryl who shook her head asking him to stop. "It's ok Jug," She smiles at him sympathetically, she reminds herself to thank him later for trying. He's such a sweetheart. She turns her attention to her girlfriend. "I knew you would react like this, so I asked him to lie for me. I'm going back to Thornhill, and there's nothing you can say to change my mind." She's stern, metaphorically putting her foot down. This conversation is over.

Veronica ignores this however by adding, "I don't understand why you're doing this."

Cheryl sighs, "Look, all of you," she looks around the table addressing each one of her friends, directing them to listen. "I can't begin to express how much I owe you for not only saving my life but giving me something to live for." She finds Veronica's hand under the table and takes it in her own. "Before Sweetwater, I was all alone. No friends or family, I truly believed that no one cared about me, and that this town would be better off without me. But you guys, you proved me wrong." She looks at each of them sending warm smiles their way. "You showed me that kindness exists, and that good people will care, no matter how distant they may seem. You took me in, literally," She directs to Veronica who smiles in return, gently squeezing her hand. "and showered me with this warmth I haven't felt since Jason. You all have made me a happier, nicer, more loving, and stronger person. Just by showing me a little bit of love, one can only wonder the kind of heartbreak that could have been avoided had my parents done the same."

She pauses for a moment, taking a second to gather her thoughts. She examines the hand clasped in her own. "I'm not excusing the person I was before, or all the hurt I've put each of you through back then, but I hope you know that the person I am now regrets all the decisions _she_ made. I love each and every one of you. You've made me strong enough to face my mother, because I know whatever happens, you'll all be here in the end."

Once again, she pauses, and the group watch her with melancholy eyes. Betty and Veronica both on the verge of tears, while Archie and Jughead look on with sad smiles. Cheryl turns fully to face her girlfriend. "We can discuss this further at home, but I don't want to argue anymore right now. I just want to enjoy my lunch with my friends, and my love, ok?"

Veronica nods in earnest, she caresses Cheryl's face looking longingly into her eyes. "Of course. I love you."

"I love you too!" Betty chimes I'm, tears in her eyes. They all laugh at this, the mood significantly lightening with each sound of laughter.

"Same." Archie offers, pulling Cheryl in for a side hug. Cheryl melts into his side laughing even louder, the tears in her eyes no longer full of sadness but instead of joy.

Everyone looks to the only person at the table yet to confirm their adoration for their newest friend, Jughead. "What?" He laughs. Betty gently elbows him in the rib to which he playfully "owws" she gives him a stern look, nodding her head in Cheryl's direction. Jughead pffts and grins, "Love you too Cher."

Everyone audibly awws and Jughead rolls his eyes hard before taking a large bite of his sandwich. Once the lovefest concludes, the happy atmosphere restored to the group, they go about lunch as usual, gossiping, playful bantering, and everyone pointing out how wildly inappropriate Veronica and Cheryl's PDA can get. Things may be changing, but some things will always remain the same.

 **A/N: Hey all! So it's been a minute since I've updated. I recently got a second job so I have been extra busy lately. I was able to finally figure out/draft the ending of this story, so if you haven't noticed there will be 59 chapters in total (as long as the writing process doesn't change that) I love this story so much, but all good things must come to an end eventually. I always said I would update until I found the natural conclusion, and I finally worked it out. With that being said there will be 3 more updates to this fic. I don't have a set update schedule but my goal is to have it finished by the end of the month. I appreciate all the love and support all of you have provided for the past 55, now 56 chapters. Let's keep the good vibes flowing and make these last ones amazing! I love you all! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review to let me know what you think!** ****


	57. Compromise

Veronica manages to go the rest of the day without bringing up Cheryl's move. She doesn't mention it in the hallway between class. Doesn't bring it up at practice when Cheryl makes an off handed remark about things _"changing"_ (thus making practice schedule a bit rearranged in the coming week.) She doesn't even bother asking about it on the car ride home even though they were alone. Veronica understands if they are going to get into it, they need to be in their own safe environment, away from all the people and distractions.

That's why she waits right up until the moment they walk through her bedroom door. "Ok so about Thornhill-" Veronica begins as she shuts the door behind her.

"My god, finally. The amount of tension you've been carrying all day has been stressing me out." Cheryl cuts her off, laying her bag down on the desk, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing at her neck, working away the knots that had been forming all day. She's tired and annoyed, and Veronica can tell. Cheryl braces herself for the onslaught of defensive attacks Veronica has most likely been thinking up all day. She's ready to get it over with. In the end this is ultimately her decision, and she already had her mind made up. No one is going to convince her otherwise, not even her girlfriend.

Veronica moves to stand in front of Cheryl's sitting figure, arms crossed but not in defiance, rather loosely griping her torso almost as if she's giving herself a hug. The emotion on her face, and in her tone of voice change the direction Cheryl thought this conversation would be headed. "Please don't go back to that place. Literally anywhere else I'm fine with, but baby.." She has to take in a deep breath to keep herself from tearing up. Now was not the time to cry.

Veronica kneels down to get at eye level with her girlfriend, she places her hands-on Cheryl's knees for balance. Cheryl takes hold of them, wanting more contact. "That house is not safe. Your mother is not safe. I don't want you putting yourself in danger."

Cheryl can feel the tears building behind her eyelids, she tries to blink them away, only causing them to fall. "You think I don't know that?" The disbelief in her voice is evident, and Veronica suddenly feels guilty. Of course, Veronica knew Cheryl understood the risks, but obviously just the insinuation that she might think otherwise was enough to upset Cheryl.

"Then help me understand why you're still willing to go there? Because I just don't get it." Veronica urges, squeezing Cheryl's hands a little harder.

Cheryl pulls Veronica off the floor, motioning for her to sit next to her on the bed. Veronica is secretly grateful for this gesture as her calf muscles were starting to burn. Cheryl still has one of Veronica's hand clutched tightly I'm her lap, fingers interlaced and thumb gently running along Veronica's. "We knew this day was coming."

"Right-" Veronica agrees, with intent to say more, but Cheryl silences her with a pointed stare as if to say _'let me continue, I'm not done yet.'_

"There's always been this voice in the back of my head, desperately reminding me not to get too comfortable. I knew I couldn't stay here forever, no matter how much I wish that were the case." Cheryl pauses to look Veronica in the eyes, she gives her a small sad smile. "I've been mentally preparing for this day for weeks now."

Veronica is silent. It isn't a full explanation. She can tell there's more Cheryl has to say, but the pregnant pause makes her reach out to gently stroke her back with one hand, silently encouraging her to go on. Cheryl begins to fidget with their hands in her lap, breathing deep to steady her voice. Veronica has a feeling whatever Cheryl was about to say next was going to be important.

"I've spoken to her. My mother." Cheryl speaks quietly, hanging her head in shame. She never told her girlfriend this information in hopes to avoid confrontation. She knew Veronica wouldn't approve. "I contacted her about a month ago." Keeping this information secret from Veronica was on the one hand hard because she didn't like lying to her, even if it was more of just not being completely open with her as opposed to outright lying about it, but on the other hand it was easy because the topic of Thornhill and Cheryl's mother rarely came up in conversation these days. In the early days of Cheryl living with Veronica, Cheryl shared a lot about her tumultuous relationship with her mother. It was the first time she really ever voiced those fears. It was like therapy, and Veronica was more than willing to listen. As time went on and she worked through those mommy issues, Cheryl didn't talk about her as much. She found the love she so desperately desired from other places, other people. She didn't have to strive for her mother's love as much.

Even though Veronica wants to freak out about not being privy to this sooner, she bites her tongue. This isn't the time for petty arguments. She moves past the why and instead offers a reserved, "And how did that go?" She doesn't even know what Cheryl would say to Penelope, did she tell her where she's been staying all this time? Why she really left in the first place? That she's dating Veronica? She was positive any of those conversations would have gone horribly wrong. So, for Cheryl to have never said anything about strife with her mother, or ever presenting as if she was having any problems, Veronica was curious if maybe she was wrong. Could Penelope have changed like Cheryl did over the course of these last few months? She supposes it's possible, but some people aren't equipped to change and Veronica would have bet good money that Penelope was one of those people.

"It wasn't great the first time. I just called to check in, let her know I was ok. She didn't seem to care. I was reluctant to reach out again, but knowing I'd have to return there eventually made me persist." Cheryl admits shyly, she doesn't give Veronica a chance to reply as she powers on with her speech. "The conversation is pretty much the same each time. I tell her I'm ok, she feigns interest, then I ask about Nana Rose, Mother always says she's fine, it's silent for a moment before I say goodbye and hang up. It's never a long call, a couple minutes at best."

She looks up to evaluate Veronica's reaction. Veronica's face is sullen, but no anger is evident. Her lips slumped in a semi pout, her eyebrows drawn down causing a crease on her forehead. She's soft, and Cheryl is grateful Veronica has put aside her malice for her mother long enough to hear her out. She continues, "I call her every three or four days. But these past couple weeks, things have felt different when I talk to her. She's less cold, she speaks more, not that she's really saying anything good, but it's better than the one word replies I got before. She told me Nana Rose missed me the other day. And I don't know if it's my naive optimism, but something about the way she said it made me feel like it wasn't just Nana she was talking about..."

Tears begin to form in Cheryl's eyes again, her emotions running wild with that admission. She felt silly wishing her mother would miss her. And her heart aches that that's a feeling she even has to have in the first place. Your parents, especially your mom, are supposed to be loving and nurturing by default. What did she do to deserve the evil one she got? Veronica's arms are around her solidly in an instant, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Veronica cradles Cheryl's head, hand running softly across Cheryl's hair.

They hold each other close for a moment as Cheryl lets out her tears. Veronica hums softly in Cheryl's ear, her back strokes syncing to the rhythm. When Cheryl is all cried out she pulls back just enough to address Veronica face to face. "I know she's not perfect, but I want to try to work on our relationship, and I can't do that while living here, or at Jug's, or Betty's. I have to go home."

Veronica finally understands why Cheryl feels the need to return to Thornhill. She may not be 100 percent on board with the idea, but at least she knows why it's so important to her girlfriend. She leans in and places a kiss on Cheryl's cheek and brings a hand up to caress her face. She gives her a goofy smile which brings the light back to Cheryl's eyes. "I will support you, but if she gets hostile again, please promise me you'll get out of there. That's not the kind of relationship you need in your life."

Cheryl feels the emotion in the back of her throat build up, like she could start crying all over again. Tears fall down her cheeks, but a smile graces her features. Her heart and her eyes, full of so much love. "Thank you."

Veronica kisses her softly in reply, smiling bright as she pulls away. In effort to lighten the mood she gets up and walks toward the closet. "Ok so about your wardrobe, were gonna have to make some compromises, because even though this is yours," she says while holding up one of Cheryl's shear black lace tops, "This is staying with me."

Cheryl laughs and softly rolls her eyes at the girl across the room, who is grinning from ear to ear. "Oh really, then this is coming with me." Cheryl says, lifting up one of Veronica's collared dresses.

"Oh no it's not." Veronica argues trying to take the item from Cheryl's hands. A fit of giggles escaping both girl's lips...


	58. A Gift and An Invitation

At school the next morning Cheryl makes her way down the hall to the familiar Blue and Gold office she's spent so many mornings in hanging out with Jughead. She laughs lightly to herself, reflecting upon how far they have come as friends over the past few months. What started out as a hostile back and forth blossomed into a beautiful friendship, one that Cheryl never expected to gain from this whole scenario. In fact, out of the whole group of people she now calls friends, she expected to be the least close with the beanie wearing boy. How they ended up being the closest she'll never fully understand.

As Veronica and she were packing last night, Cheryl came across an old leather jacket that belonged to Jason. Her brother didn't wear it often, opting for his letterman over anything else, but on those nights when he snuck out of the house to meet with Polly, the leather was his go to. Something about dressing the part adding to the danger of his disobedience. Cheryl always made fun of Jason for that (even though she definitely does the same exact thing.) Their whole family has a flair for being extra.

She decided she wanted to give it to Jughead as a small thank you for everything he's done for her. It's not like it would fit her, Jason was built with a much broader shoulder line and his muscles were actually very well-toned for a boy his age. Cheryl would be swimming in the material. Plus, it felt right giving it to Jughead who's basically been a pseudo-brother to her in these past few months. It felt very fitting.

"Hey Jug!"

"Ahh she lives!" Jughead calls from across the room, putting down his book and gesturing to the chair across the table, ushering Cheryl to sit down. "I'm surprised Veronica let you leave the house today, figured she'd try to lock you away to keep you from going home." He leans back in his chair, hands interlocking behind his head, smug expression plasters his face.

"A little dramatic, even for Veronica," she adds as she sits, "but we talked it through and she's ok with me returning to Thornhill."

Jug leans forward on the table. "That's good. I'm glad you worked it out." He pauses a moment, the look on his face turning serious. He gently places a hand over Cheryl's as he speaks. "But Cher, I want to reiterate that if anything goes wrong and you need out, my place is always available."

"Thank you Jug. I really appreciate that." She squeezes his hand firmly before he retracts it, leaning back with a nod. "You know what's funny?" Cheryl continues, "After everything that's happened, and everything that's changed, and all I've gained since the incident, gaining you as my best friend is probably the most surprising, but honestly greatest thing to happen."

Jughead boisterously declares, hand over heart. "You mean I beat out dating Veronica lodge?" He laughs, although he's acting it up, he really is touched by Cheryl's words.

A devilish smile curls Cheryl's lips, "Oh something would have happened there with or without me almost dying, trust me." The flirtation and will they or won't they aspect if their relationship had been there from the beginning. While Cheryl's suicide attempt may have been the catalyst that brought them closer. Cheryl knew deep down that even if that never happened, she would have had her way with the Lodge girl eventually. It was only a matter if time.

"Us being friends," Cheryl adds, "well that never would have happened." She softens. "But I'm so glad it has."

"Me too."

"Oh? No witty sarcastic remark?"

"I mean I can conjure you up one if you want it, but I thought it best to keep it genuine."

"Ooh! I almost forgot, here." Cheryl speaks excitedly as she pulls out the jacket from her bag. "I want you to have this."

"Wow, you sure Cher?" He hasn't taken the offer in his hands yet, too stunned by what this kind of gesture meant. It almost brought him to tears.

"Yes, it's the least I could do." She forces the jacket into Jughead's hands. "Plus if Jason's up there watching, I'm sure he'd want you to have it, as a thanks for taking such good care if me while he's been gone."

She stares at him stating at the leather in his  
hands. He still feels like this is too much, he knows how much Jason meant to Cheryl, to suggest that she was him as anywhere close to that pedestal was an honor Jughead didn't feel he deserved.

When he looks up as sees the way Cheryl is staring at him, he knows she's waiting for him to try it on. He stands, stumbling over the chair a bit, still hyper focused on the jacket. When he puts it on, it's an almost perfect fit. He never realized how similar in size he was with the football captain.

It was a foreign feeling, although not entirely unlike the way he felt when he put on his serpent's jacket for the first time. Then it felt like a rush of power, a sense of belonging, knowing he wasn't alone anymore. This instance had that feeling of belonging as well, like Cheryl has fully accepted him into her life and he's finally got that sister he's always wanted (you know since Jellybean can't be bothered to acknowledge his existence.) But there was a sense of sadness that came along with it, knowing the fate of the jacket's previous owner, and understanding what this must mean for Cheryl.

The girl who gifted it to him smiles on a teary approval. "You wear it well, much better than JJ ever did." And before Jughead even gas a chance to respond, Cheryl's arms are wrapped around his torso, face buried in his chest. He reciprocates the embrace in silence, not wanting to ruin the moment. It's sweet the way she cares for him, and he in return. There's something so compelling about the enemies to friends trope they fell into. Two people who had no business being friends ending up as close as two people could be, a family.

In many ways that need for family was the driving force behind their friendship. Cheryl coming from a dysfunctional family to say the least, her only ally being murdered by her own father, never being able to trust her parents again. Jughead being a product of a broken home, also mourning the loss of a sibling (in a more metaphorical sense as Jellybean was merely away rather than dead.) Their unrealized search to fill the respective voids in their lives lead them to each other by the weirdest twist of fate either of them had experienced.

Cheryl pulls away first, Jug not wanting to back out too early as Cheryl was already crying. He won't admit it, but he may have shed a few silent tears himself. He knew this wasn't a goodbye, as she's merely moving across town and will be back at school the next day just as normal. But the way Cheryl went about things, extra as always, amplified those bon voyage esque vibes.

"Thank you." Is all Jughead can get himself to say without putting his foot in his mouth. Cheryl smiles fondly. She leans in to kiss his cheek before promptly leaving the blue and gold office, leaving a slightly stunned, leather-clad boy in her wake. 

"What's got you so twisty faced?" Betty asks her boyfriend who's standing stock still, eyes cast out the doorway in which Cheryl left moments ago.

He turns his attention to Betty who was standing at his side. "Cheryl just called me her bestie and gave me Jason's jacket." He looks down at the garment and puts his hands in the front pockets.

Betty gives him a once over, "You look rather handsome," she wraps her arms around him placing a gentle kiss to his lips. He smirks as she pulls away.

"Who knew Jason had a dark side?"

He meant it in jest, a lighthearted commentary on the previous pretty boy King of Riverdale High, the perfect gentleman, heir to the Blossom family business. However, upon reflection the joke fell flat. The atmosphere growing tense around them. A dark side indeed...

"You two are a super cute friendship pair," Betty coos in attempt to lighten the mood. Referring to Jughead and Cheryl she continues to gush, "ahh the ultimate brotp!"

Jughead rolls his eyes. First, he finds it absolutely ridiculous that someone would utter such an internet-based word in real life conversation, it felt so cheesy to him, second he hates that he even knows what the acronym stands for in the first place. "You spend too much time with-"

"Veronica!" Betty cuts him off.

"I was gonna say Kevin." Jughead clarifies.

"No" She points, to the doorway. Veronica had just entered the room.

He turns around to see Betty's bestie, God sometimes he hates how these girls have rubbed off on him. His vocabulary now containing a variety of vapid words he never would have used unironically before. "Oh hey V." Even his newfound use of nicknames felt strangely indicative of this shift in his life.

"Have you seen Cheryl?" She asks looking for her girlfriend.

"You just missed her." Jughead offers.

"Oh well Jug, could you give her this since you have class with her before I do?" She hands him a sealed envelope addressed to the redhead, adorned with a wax seal.

Accepting the parchment, Jughead prods. "Ah you finally figured out her schedule?" A running joke between the group since the beginning of Cheryl's arrival.

"Shut up, I've known it for weeks now. Plus, it's better if it gets hand delivered by someone else anyway."

"Oohh what's in it?" Betty chimes in, her intrigue at a high.

"A special invitation for the most amazing dinner date. I want to make Cheryl's last night at the Pembroke perfect."

"So, no Pop's tonight?" Jughead asks, "Kidding." He raises his hands in surrender at both Veronica's glare and Betty's 'not now' look of disapproval.

"Cheryl's leaving already?" Betty aks for clarification. "I thought you had a week yet?"

"She's adamant on leaving this weekend because she's afraid if she stays the full week, we'll end up fighting instead of enjoying the time we have left." The two listening nod their heads in agreement.

Jughead has to ask, "So you're still not ok with her going to Thornhill?"

"I'm going to support her no matter what, but it does still worry me." Veronica admits. She wraps her arms around her waist as she does when trying to calm herself down.

"If it makes you feel better, I told her my place is always open to her if she needs it." Jughead ensures.

"That does. Thank you Jug. I'm glad Cheryl has you to lean on, even if it's still super weird to me that you two are best friends."

Betty breaks out in laughter, Jughead too. Veronica is a bit perplexed by their intense reaction but laughs along, completely unaware of the conversation her girlfriend just had with Jughead.

...

" _A night of pleasure and play_? I like the alliteration." Cheryl teases as her girlfriend takes a seat next to her at their lab station at the beginning of third period. She's referring to the cheesy yet incredibly romantic invitation Jughead handed to her rather unceremoniously with a shrug last period. Had veronica known that would be how he'd deliver the message, she would have opted for the old surprise note in the locker move.

Upon receiving the envelope, Cheryl knew it could only have been from her girlfriend. The quality of paper, the seal, the beautiful script Veronica surprisingly had a knack for, it all screamed extravagance in a way only Veronica Lodge could provide. She opened it carefully, not wanting to tear the paper or break the wax. She was meticulous, taking almost five whole minutes, Jughead staring in baffled curiosity the entire time.

"I came up with it myself!" Veronica smiles smugly, proud of herself. She's not usually one for written words, preferring to monologue her feelings.

"And having Jug hand deliver it, that was a nice touch." Cheryl jokes, if Veronica only knew. "But you don't have to go through any trouble-"

Veronica cuts her off with an "ahh" and a finger, "Its not, plus it's very low-key. Just dinner and movies like usual." She inches closer to Cheryl, her voice lowering to a quiet pout. "I just want to spend some quality alone time with you before you leave."

"You make it sound like you're not gonna see me tomorrow." Cheryl pats Veronica's head which was currently resting on her shoulder. She can't help but laugh at Veronica's clinginess. She finds it very amusing in addition to super adorable.

Veronica lifts her head to look her girlfriend in the eyes. "You know what I mean, but it is kinda the end of an era." She pouts again, her smile fading.

"Let's not get into all that right now, no sense in getting sad over it yet." Cheryl calmly suggests as she curls her fingers behind Veronica's ear.

"But I'm already sad."

"Ronn-" Cheryl protests with a pointed look.

"I know, I know." Veronica retreats, she begins to remove her notebook and pen from her bag, they were in class after all. "Betty's gonna take you home after practice, which I'm using my co-captain power to skip so I can set things up."

Cheryl knits her brow, "You said it was low key?" Knowing Veronica, she wouldn't be surprised if she was downplaying whatever over the top date she had set up. Lowkey to Veronica Lodge was crazy extravagant to the average teenager.

"It is! But there's also a few things I have to take care of." Veronica assures. "It'll be a night to remember!"

"As the invitation states!" Cheryl laughs holding up the card. Veronica's expression reveals she's only mildly amused by Cheryl's joke. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it, just as much as I love you." Cheryl adds seriously. She places a quick kiss to Veronica's lips before the teacher can yell at them for not paying attention. How either of them is passing this class is a mystery.

A night to remember, a final night at the Pembroke, at least as a resident. It certainly was the end of something, but the best thing about endings, they make room for a new beginning…

 **A/N:** Hello all! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! I have been very busy with my 2 jobs and sometimes I want to spend the one day off I get sleeping. Not to mention the lack of motivation I've had for writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter as the penultimate update. I can't believe after all this time this story if finally coming to an end. Thank you so much for all your continued support! Let me know your thoughts! Much love to you all!


	59. End

"So tomorrow's the big day huh?" Resident gossip Kevin Keller begins once everyone's gathered at their usual lunch table.

The whole school was aware of Cheryl's current living arrangement, much in part to Kevin's loose lips. A slip that he would forever regret as dealing with the wrath of not one, but two of the most powerful people at Riverdale High, was too much for the average student. The only reason he came out reasonably unscathed was due to his friendship with the girls, or rather Betty inparticular, her influence calmed the rocky waters and tamed the storm Veronica wanted to hurl his way.

For a month, Kevin wasn't allowed to sit by them at lunch. _"No Betty, I can't look at his face without wanting to scream, you want us to keep the peace, then I need distance."_ Betty felt it was a bit of a harsh punishment at the time, but upon explanation she realized maybe it was in fact fair. _"Everyone's speculating about how awful Cheryl's mother is, it's true, but being reminded 24/7 by people who don't really know what they're talking about doesn't help Cheryl. She pretends to be strong and unaffected, but I can tell it's hurting her."_

Veronica could see the pain behind Cheryl's eyes, the sparkle dull and vacant. Her smiles lacked umph, her signature dimple rarely making an appearance. Her nightmares started acting up again after weeks of fairly uninterrupted rest. She knows Kevin didn't mean to make Cheryl's home life the new hot topic around school, especially when he was ignorant as to why Cheryl was living with Veronica in the first place.

They eventually told him after weeks of giving him the cold shoulder. Veronica made a scene, which she wasn't proud of, that earned her a spot in the doghouse where Cheryl was concerned. (Although that didn't last very long.) Kevin had come up to Veronica, ready to grovel at her feet for forgiveness, but her anger at him only flared his defensive nature. A full-fledged yelling match in the middle of the school hallway ensued. When Kevin called out, "I don't see how you two playing house is such a scandal!" Veronica couldn't control herself.

She spat back with as much venom her voice could carry, "playing house?! Yes, tending to your girlfriend's wounds at the hand of her abusive mother, tending to the self-harm scars that litter her body so they heal properly, barely getting any sleep cause you're too busy holding her wracking body after another nightmare, covered in her tears, the feeling of her nails digging into your skin cause she's desperately clinging to anything solid and tangible so as to not lose herself to the demons plaguing her mind, forcing her to eat on the days she doesn't want to leave bed, yes that's definitely _playing house_." The finger she had been pointing at him with dug even further into his chest, causing a pain he didn't dare mention, as Veronica continued. "I'll give it up to your ignorance, but don't you dare pretend to know what's going on when you have no fucking clue."

The eyes from the other students milling about the hall, baring witness to the encounter, felt like daggers, but it was Kevin's defeated remorseful gaze that twisted the blades. She sank, back against the lockers books fallen to the floor. Exhausted.

Kevin shooed the rubbernecks along before taking a seat next to the girl who had her head buried in her hands. She spoke quietly when she felt his hand on her back, "she tried to kill herself Kev, back when her dad did the same thing. We found her, out at Sweetwater River. She fell through the ice. Archie broke his hand from punch his way through the surface to pull her out." Her voice was slow and ragged. Every sentence, a pause between each detail. She left the rest, figuring he could put the pieces together. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you.." She left it hang in the air between them. The hall now empty, the bell ringing minutes ago…

When Cheryl heard of the confrontation she was angry at Veronica for airing her dirty laundry in such a public setting. She gave her the benefit of the doubt for her chivalry but wouldn't excuse it altogether. Cheryl had her own one on one with Kevin later that day, explaining to him the things Veronica left out, and ultimately why it hurt so much when he told Moose about her living arrangement.

They let him resume sitting with them at lunch the next day, the air cleared between them all. No more secrets to be told. It was a bit awkward at first, but by the end of the week everything was back to normal.

Aside from Veronica, Kevin was the one most opposed to Cheryl's plan to return to Thornhill. Still protesting his opposition even now, the day before the move. "So tomorrow's the big day huh?"

Cheryl rolls her eyes, "Yes Kevin, we've been over this, and you're not changing my mind."

"No, no, I was just curious what your plans are for the evening. Might I suggest a party?"

"I've got that covered Kev." Veronica chimes in with a wink as she wraps Cheryl up in her arms.

Kevin clears his throat, "Ahh, date night, gotcha, but we should still do something to celebrate?" He's always down for a party, no matter the excuse.

Cheryl squashes his excitement with a tentative warning. "Let's see how the transition goes first, then we'll see if there's something to celebrate."

"Kevin you should meet the rest of us at Pop's tonight, we are almost always there and you never show up." Betty gleams at her best friend.

"Right, and I'm sorry Betty, but I have other evening plans most nights." By other plans he's referring to the late-night cruising through the woods, meeting up with Riverdale, and surrounding area's closeted gays for a vigorous ' _run_.' His late night rendezvous an activity he doesn't tell anyone about.

Betty misinterprets this as a secret boyfriend, and the conversation switches to her interrogating Kevin while he avoids revealing the truth. Turns out Kevin Keller can bite his tongue, if only where his reputation is at stake.

...

Archie pulls Veronica to the side after lunch ends. She gives a nod to Cheryl who continues on her walk to class, giving them some alone time.

"Hey, I know there's a lot going on with the move and all," He begins with a gentle hold on Veronica's arm. "but I just wanted to let you know if you ever need anything that you can come to me."

Veronica smiles as her face twists in confusion, she lets out a small laugh. "Of course, I appreciate it Arch." She brandishes her teeth again, a wide grin displaying her gratitude.

Archie hums before further clarifying that his sentiment wasn't just an out of the blue reminder. "I mean with your dad coming home and all, I know that's a sore spot for you."

Veronica's smile fades at the mention of her father, "Right," she looks up at Archie's concern laden face and bites the inside of her cheek. "I will definitely keep that in mind." Her smile reappears, genuinely, and she squeezes his hand. "You really are one of the good ones."

He nods, silently offering his thanks to her compliment. He scratches at the back of his neck, that old nervous tick revealing his vulnerability. "Perhaps I could ask for some advice in return?"

"Certainly, what's up?"

"I asked Val out, we're gonna hang tomorrow and I guess I'm a little nervous." His smile wavers as he continues scratching the back of his neck.

Veronica takes hold of his arm to pull it away. He noticeably calms down at the gesture. "Archie Andrews nervous about a girl? You have seen yourself, right?"

"She's so cool Ronnie, and so out of my league." He was squirming with a nervous energy that made Veronica laugh. She's never seen him like this, the guy who exudes cool confidence, struggling? It was for sure an irregular occurrence.

"Look, you both love music, I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about. When in doubt just flash her that signature Andrews smirk," He looks at her with a goofy grin, "yes that one! You'll be fine Archie, just relax and try not to put too much pressure on yourself." She squeezes his arm for reassurance, impressed by the amount of muscle hidden under the sleeve of his letterman. He must have been hitting the weights extra hard these days.

"Thanks Ronnie. Walk you to class?" He offers, feeling better about his date.

"Won't you be late for Peterson's class?"

He waves it off, "Ah it's the end of the semester, he's too strung out to notice."

They begin their trek across the school towards Veronica's classroom. "You know if this works out, Betty's going to insist we have a triple date. Hopefully convincing Val to tag along will be easier than it was our dates."

"I'm with Kevin, we should just throw a party instead." Archie offers. Six is such a large number for a date night, it would be easier to just have a small party where they could all hang. Plus, a party offers a couple the opportunity to slip away for more _intimate_ practices, and surly none of the pairings would be adverse to such a perk.

Veronica lightly laughs, "maybe if we can convince Kevin to invite whichever boy of the week he's with." Archie grins as Veronica continues, "then of course there's Reggie and Josie, maybe Melody. Is she seeing someone? Or we could hook her up. What about Dilton? He's kinda hot in his weird humble boy scout adventurer way. Or maybe he's better for Ethel." The wheels in her head turning faster than her mouth can relay all the confirmation, "Basically just invite the whole sophomore class make it a real party."

"Ok, ok I see what you're getting at. A triple date sound fun, but I've gotta get through this one first." The first date nerves slowly creeping back to him.

Veronica notices the change in his physical demeanor. The way his hands tightly grip the strap of his messenger bag, his chin defined by a clamped jaw. She places a hand on his shoulder, which seems to bring him out of his mind, where he was no doubt surrounded by thoughts of an unsuccessful evening. "Relax, you'll be fine. You've hung out with her before, nothing's changed, except if you're lucky, she might let you kiss her. You are a perfect gentleman, just be yourself."

"You think Cheryl could help me pick out what to wear? You guys always make fun of the letterman, so I want to forgo that this time."

"First, I'm a little offended you don't seem to want my fashion advice, second I'm sure she'd love to! Just shoot her some pics later, we've got our own date to get ready for." She smiles, she can't contain her excitement for this evening. It's going to be a night to remember.

"Will do. I'm really happy for you guys. Sucks that she has to leave, but this will be good for you" Veronica shoots him an unamused glare, not understanding how her girlfriend moving out could be a good thing. "in the long run I mean, that is if you see a future with Miss Blossom."

Veronica stops walking, Archie's words hitting her with so much force she couldn't continue on. She really thinks about it, a future with Cheryl, it's something she's certainly day dreamed of, little snippets of their lives together post Riverdale, off in college somewhere, maybe upstate New York, sharing a quaint apartment, cheering each other on in their respective careers. She'll never admit, but sometimes those daydreams included wedding bells, and a couple of the best dressed kids you'd ever see running around the halls of their four-bedroom house. But that was all a lifetime away.

"Ronnie," Archie calls, breaking her from her vision. "The bell's about to ring."

"Right sorry." They continue walking through the halls, reaching Veronica's classroom moments later. "Just text me, or Cheryl, if you need any more advice. I sincerely hope everything works out for you. You and Val would be so adorable!"

She pulls him in for a hug, and he thanks her as they part, turning swiftly to rush across the school to his class.

 _A future with Miss Blossom._ Archie's words ring in her ears. A future she secretly dreamed about. A future she's longed for. Veronica blushes at the thought. Archie's right. Learning how to be together while being apart would be good for them, make them stronger as a couple. They skipped straight to the domestic phase, they never really had the opportunity to learn how to navigate being apart. The distance would force them to focus on communication, which they already do so well in keeping open, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. It would also teach them to truly appreciate the time they have together, since as of now they are together the majority of the day, they could use some space and time to themselves. Her apprehension about Cheryl moving out slowly fading away with time. This will be good for them, she reaffirms Archie's notion, repeating the phrase like a soothing mantra. This will be good for them.

Cheryl lets Betty help lead practice today. With Veronica absent for last minute date planning, Cheryl asks Betty to fill in, help lead the stretches, the routine, etc. They work well together, almost better than her and Veronica, actually definitely better than her and Veronica. With Veronica, Cheryl has a tendency to stare, getting lost in the movements of her girlfriend's body, not paying any mind to the rest of the girls who actually need the feedback. Having Betty co-captain for the day feels natural too. And when Cheryl eventually graduates (however, still a year down the road) someone will have to step up to fill her shoes, that is if Veronica doesn't take full reign as sole captain. Cheryl feels Betty would be perfect for that role.

Betty has a knack for leadership. She's good at delegating and even better at offering encouragement, a skill Cheryl lacked herself. She wonders for a moment, if she should back down as co-captain and let Betty take her place. Certainly, she'd do a better job in the position.

"You ready?" Betty asks, breaking the girl's attention from the mirror she'd been staring at for the past few minutes.

The locker room is empty, the rest of the girls long gone as practice ended nearly a half hour ago. Betty was instructed to deliver a set of clothes to the captain, which Veronica required she wear for their mysterious date night. Cheryl was confused upon seeing the contents of the bag, not really sure what Veronica was planning based off the attire. A night in no doubt.

A three-piece silk pajama set in dark blue loosely adorned her curves. If Veronica's idea of "an evening of pleasure and play" was just straight up sex, she didn't pick the sexiest outfit to make her wear. "You know what she's planning?" She questions her appointed chauffeur for the evening, gathering her things before filling out of the locker room.

"Nope and even if I did I wouldn't spoil the surprise." Betty teases.

"Oh, cousin Betty don't you know blood is thicker than water?"

"Ah but Cheryl have you heard 'blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb'?"

Cheryl stops, "Wait is that really how the saying goes?"

Betty turns to view Cheryl and laughs lightly, "It's been floating around the internet, but no one can seem to provide a proper source. I prefer this adage though regardless."

They continue their walk through the school, exiting the doors near the side parking lot. "You of all people should know that the bonds of a chosen relationship are stronger than a purely genetic one, at least in most cases."

"True." Cheryl agrees. They enter Betty's car, and after a moment of silence, Cheryl adds. "Crazy cousin reveal aside, you are party of my chosen family. I hope you know that Betty."

Betty smiles and reaches a hand over the center console to take Cheryl's in her own. "Of course. You're mine too."

They speak about practice and finals on the way to the Pembroke. Cheryl lets Betty know that she would be a great captain someday, and Betty blushes, still not used to getting such high praise from Cheryl Blossom, even if they are great friends these days.

It's not a long drive, but Betty does abide by the speed limits better than Veronica does so the trip is a few minutes longer. When they pull up, Betty doesn't allow Cheryl to leave just yet, grabbing her arm to still her in her seat.

"Hold on, I'm supposed to check if Veronica's ready for you." She pulls out her phone to text Veronica letting her know they've arrived. Her phone buzzes in reply moments later. "I'm supposed to stall." Betty laughs, Cheryl joining her.

"So what's the plan for when you arrive back at Thornhill?"

Cheryl contemplates a moment, unsure of her strategy herself, she kept telling herself that she'd cross that bridge when she got there. Much like the way her and Veronica would refer to Cheryl eventually moving out, putting off the inevitable until it's no longer possible to ignore. "I think I'm gonna play it by ear. Confront mother, then stalk off to my room which I'll probably rarely leave, just for school and food."

"That doesn't sound like much of an existence."

"Well until graduation, I don't have much choice. It's honestly not that different than the way things were before."

"Well you're always welcome to come over anytime, or we can go to Pop's or somewhere to get you out of the house."

"Thanks Betty, I really appreciate it. You've been such a help these past few months, I truly am grateful for you."

Betty beams at Cheryl's words, she offers a wide crooked smile in return. Cheryl's phone buzzes before Betty gets the chance to voice her reply.

Cheryl amusedly hums at her phone, her face twists which causes a curious Betty to ask what it is she's smiling at. "Archie wants me to help him pick out date clothes." She hands the phone over displaying the message with three picture attachments.

Betty squeals when she reads the message, "Val! It's about time these two got together! They've been a will they won't they thing longer than you and Veronica were, which felt like forever by the way." She adds with a laugh. "I've been trying to get them together for months!" Betty continues to get increasingly excited, "we can all go on triple dates!"

Cheryl reluctantly groans at this mention. She couldn't wait to talk to Jughead about this. They look over the pictures and collectively agree on option two, sending Archie a reply to inform him of their choice. Not long after, Betty's phone rings with the go ahead message to let Cheryl come up. "Alright looks like you're free to go!"

"Thanks for driving me."

"Thanks for letting me co-captain today."

"We make a pretty good team." Cheryl nods her goodbye as she exists the car, bag in hand. She takes in a deep breath, straightening her coat over the silk pajamas. Her mind once again wondering what it is they would be doing tonight that required such clothing (although she has a feeling they won't be on for long) surely, they weren't going anywhere, so what was it that Veronica needed so much time to prepare.

She enters the apartment herself, using the spare key Veronica gave her weeks ago. The sight around her makes her heart swell. None of the lights were on in the place, instead bathed by the many strands of Christmas lights that shown about the room. A couple of candles flickered on the dining room table where a meal was served, silverware set and ready to be used.

Veronica comes strolling down the hall, unaware of Cheryl's entrance, her speed increasing when she notices her girlfriend standing stock still in the doorway. "mon chéri" she greets, her voice breathy from the quick strides.

She's wearing a red silk nightgown with matching schall. Wearing each other's signature colors, Cheryl notes, just like that day way back when when Veronica suggested they wear each other's clothes to Pop's that evening. It was their first real bonding experience that didn't involve copious amounts of tears and comfort.

"My mother is out for the evening, an overnight spa day I arranged last minute. Food is ready whenever you're hungry, I've got Netflix queued up, and dessert in the freezer."

"Movie night. I should have guessed." Cheryl feels silly for not realizing it sooner. The matching pajamas finally making sense. The number of movie nights they've had over the months was incredibly high. It quickly became their thing, the go to date, because that's all they ever needed to have a good time, each other.

"I wanted it to be simply us."

"The lights are a nice touch." Cheryl motions about the room, still in silent awe over all the trouble Veronica must have gone through to hang them all up.

"Just wait till you see the bedroom."

Cheryl quirks up an eyebrow at the statement. Veronica understanding exactly where Cheryl's mind wandered off to, interrupts the NSFW thoughts floating around her head. "Dinner first."

Veronica walks over, taking Cheryl's bags and coat from her and casting them aside on the entryway hall tree. "I ordered from 9th Street." She calls out over her shoulder.

Cheryl already sitting at the table smiles, "Obviously." Where they spent their first date, or rather what she intended to be their first date. It was the perfect choice for tonight's meal, fitting into the 'cheronica greatest hits' theme Veronica seemed to have planned. Between the food and the lights (from their do-over first date) Cheryl was willing the bet Legally Blonde was in that Netflix queue Veronica mentioned earlier. "It's perfect."

 _Perfect._ The word Veronica was so adamant not to be described as. Something she made clear on their do over date. She had her demons just like Cheryl and didn't want to be put on a pedestal that erased that fact. As they grew closer over the months following, Cheryl learned those demons were more singular in nature. All stemming back to one thing, one person in particular. Her father.

In all the talks about Cheryl leaving and returning to Thornhill, the focus was always on her and her wellbeing. Cheryl realizes she should have taken the time to focus on how Veronica was doing. Having her father, the source of so much conflict in her life returning from a stint in prison, which they are both sure didn't have any impact in regard to making him a better man, was gonna be a huge disruption in her life. Then having Cheryl move out on top of all that, effectively forcing her to feel alone in her own household, isolated from both her father and in turn her mother.

Cheryl knew this adjustment was more than just getting used to being apart from her girlfriend but learning how to be there for her in other ways than just physically. With the distance between them, they would have to work extra hard to keep the communication between them as open and honest as possible. In order to comfort and support Veronica in her time of need without being there to wrap her up in her arms. She makes note to have that conversation with Veronica, but to save it for another day. 

_Perfect_. She thinks about that word again. She's reminded of another definition, Perfect: absolute, complete. Veronica wasn't perfect in the traditional sense, _as good as it is possible to be_ , neither was Cheryl herself. However, one thing she knew in her heart, that Veronica couldn't refute, was that together they were perfect; _whole, complete._

They've really been through it together. Navigating a rather difficult and delicate situation during the aftermath of her suicide attempt. They worked together to get to the other side somewhat unscathed. They learned how to communicate openly and honestly with each other. They dealt with figuring out how to live together and work around each other. Little did they know how easy all that would be.

Putting two rivals, who were practically strangers in one room, forcing them to share a living space, a bed, and pretty much every waking moment of the day besides those few hours of solace school provided, seemed like an impossible choice at the time. Veronica knew better than to expect it to be easy, however that's exactly how it was. Together they made it easy by refusing to let it be hard. _Together._

So much of these past few months has been Cheryl and Veronica bound as a single unit. With Cheryl moving home, this would provide the unique opportunity for them to exist as individuals. Learning how to navigate their separation should hopefully allow each girl to learn more about themselves. Information they can use to strengthen their bond once reunited.

Cheryl thought about what it would mean for her to have to look into herself. Being taken under Veronica's wing since her near-death experience, she never really had a chance to process those intense feelings, or lack thereof, that lead her to such a drastic moment, by herself. Sure, _they_ discussed it a handful of times, but Cheryl never really took the time to herself to reflect on her life and emotional state. This move would give her so much more alone time where she would have to address these thoughts by herself for the first time.

Cheryl was nervous and unsure if she could handle it on her own...

"Hey, where were you?" Veronica breaks Cheryl from her thoughts with her soft-spoken words, concern drawn over her face.

"What?"

Veronica's hand finds a resting place atop Cheryl's arm. "Where were you just now? You looked lost in thought."

"Oh sorry, I've just been thinking about how this is it. It really is the end of an era." Repeating Veronica's words from earlier that day.

Veronica sits up straight, "Hey, you told me no goodbye speeches, not yet." Her body language denoting a shift in mood, "Let's just enjoy our time together while we still have it." She visibly softens, her shoulders curling forward, and her hand returning to caress Cheryl's wrist. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

 _Cross that bridge._ That's something they've been saying from the beginning. A way to put off the reality of their situation. To ignore the inevitable. They always knew in the back of their minds there was an expiration date on this living situation. They chose to distract themselves by, to evoke Kevin's words, _playing house_ without planning for what would happen when the game came to an end.

They eat in a comfortable silence. The only talk they engage in when Veronica asks how practice went. Cheryl let's her know Betty would make a wonderful co-captain once she graduates. This statement reminds them of another bridge to cross, albeit a year in the future, but one neither wanted to think of just yet. They brush it off and finish their meal in a less comfortable, yet still enjoyable silence.

"Wait till you see the bedroom." Veronica repeats her words excitedly once she puts away the last of their dinner mess. She spent a couple hours stringing up all these lights in the apartment, which Cheryl loved, but the true shining light in this whole decorating was what she spent the majority of those two hours working on and had yet to be seen, hidden away in the bedroom.

"You keep hyping this up, I better not be disappointed." Cheryl teases with a large smile.

Veronica gives her a sly look, grabbing her hand and ushering them down the hall. She motions for Cheryl to open the closed door to their room.

Cheryl turns the knob painstakingly slow which earns a playful nudge from an impatient Veronica who had her bottom lip trapped between her teeth in anticipation.

When the door is open, a large veil covered in lights is revealed. The bed surrounded by the netting enclosed in its folds. An elegant blanket fort fit for the queens of Riverdale. Cheryl is stock still by the sight, not having even stepped into the room yet. Veronica beans at Cheryl's reaction, her girlfriend staring in wonder, bathed by the reflection of the lights. It was like she was seeing her back at the park in Fairview all those weeks ago. Cheryl in awe of the lights and Veronica in awe of her. Her grin grows when Cheryl finally turns to look at her. "How did you manage to set all this up in so little time?"

Veronica laughs, "I may have enlisted some help." She thinks about how earlier she had a bumbling Kevin and an even more frustrated Jughead helping her string lights from one wall to the other. When she approached them with the favor Kevin was on board immediately, a true romantic at heart itching to help. Jughead on the other hand needed a promise of pizza today and dinner at Pop's tomorrow.

Veronica doesn't reveal the names of her helpers but by the look on Cheryl's face, she knew that _she_ knew exactly who to thank tomorrow. Veronica takes Cheryl by the hands and slowly backs them into the room, stopping when her calves hit the edge of the bed.

"I love you." Is all Cheryl can say, unable to find the words to describe how beautiful it all is and how thankful she is for everything.

Veronica pulls her in close, wrapping her arms around her neck. She drags her nails across the base of Cheryl's neck, fingers getting twisted in red locks. Their foreheads rest against each other's as Cheryl's arms lock around Veronica's waist. Swaying to the silence, they stay like that for a moment. Holding each other as close as possible.

Cheryl pulls her head back, glancing at the lighted tent behind Veronica's head. "I can't wait any longer." She begins to laugh as she face dives onto the bed between the open bit of curtain like a true child. She rolls over and curls her finger in the universal 'come here' motion playfully demanding Veronica join her.

Veronica chooses to seductively crawl across the bed rather than jumping, so her dress doesn't ride up too much, not like that would really be much of an issue as she climbs over Cheryl, straddling her waist. Before she leans down she turns awkwardly to close the gap in the veil, effectively trapping them in a wall of light. She looks up at the cover around them and smiles, feeling proud of her handy work. Cheryl runs her eyes all around the canopy, relishing in the feeling of being surrounded in a warm glow. She begins to trace circles on Veronica's thighs which causes her girlfriend to look down at her.

"Thank you for this." She looks around again before resting her eyes on Veronica's. "It's beautiful, just like you."

"You're so corny." Veronica grins as she slowly bends down.

"You love it." Cheryl whispers, Veronica's face now a mere breath away.

Veronica kisses her quickly. "Almost as much as I love you." Cheryl's face twists, "What? I can do it too." They both laugh, and Veronica kisses her again.

Their lips part only to reconnect again, and again. Moving in tandem as their hands begin to wander. Using one arm to prop her up, Veronica's free hand gently cups Cheryl's neck, her thumb just above her ear. Cheryl trails three kisses down Veronica's arm, starting with a kiss to her wrist. Her hand goes up to tangle in Veronica's hair before pulling her in closer. Veronica presses her body against Cheryl's, careful to still use her arm to prop herself to keep some of the weight off.

Cheryl wraps her hand around Veronica's thigh. She squeezes in rhythm to the way their lips purse. Her fingers digging into soft flesh. She uses her other hand to unbutton the top of her shirt, needing to be rid of the top layer of her three-piece pajama set. Veronica gets this and assists in removing the item. Her hands now sliding up the hem of the tank, drawing patterns on her stomach.

Veronica trails kisses along Cheryl's jawline and neck, nipping and sucking at every piece of skin. Cheryl's pale skin would be peppered with tiny red purple marks tomorrow. Cheryl grazes her nails across Veronica's spine over her thin silk dress. Another layer that needs to go. She maneuvers her hands to the hem of Veronica's dress, tugging enough for her girl to get the hint. Veronica sits up and agonizingly slowly pulls the item up and over her neck, discarding it on the floor, leaving her clad in only a black lace pair of panties.

"You're such a tease." Cheryl laughs.

"And you're impatient." Veronica's tone heavy with lust.

"I've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Then by all means, let me help." Veronica swoops back down capturing Cheryl's lips between her own. She kisses her hard, teeth clashing with her bottom lip.

Cheryl continues to run her hands over Veronica's back, enjoying the feeling of goosebumps under her fingers. Knowing she caused that sensation in Veronica sends a shiver down her own spine. The feeling never gets old no matter how many times she experiences it.

It's Veronica's turn to be frustrated with the amount of fabric between her and Cheryl. And in a swift motion she pulls Cheryl up off the bed and pulls the shirt above her head leaving Cheryl bare from the chest up. Still unbalanced in clothes to no clothes ratio, Veronica moves to discard Cheryl's silk pants as well. She smiles devilishly when she notices Cheryl had forgone her own underwear. Cheryl merely looks at her with a suggestively cocked brow as if to silently say, _I knew what we'd be doing._

Veronica remounts Cheryl's waist and turns her attention to her chest. She sucks and nips at one hard nipple while rolling the other in between her fingers. Cheryl's moaning directing her along the way. Cheryl tangles her fingers in Veronica's hair and the sheets beneath her. Her body arcs in pleasure and she can feel herself getting wet with excitement.

Veronica trails a hand down Cheryl's abdomen, across her mound, and to her inner thigh. The disgruntled noise that escapes Cheryl's mouth let's Veronica know she's ready. She finds Cheryl's lips again, kissing her long and slow. Her fingers drag across her body sending another much more electric shiver down her spine. Veronica was right, Cheryl is impatient, and she couldn't wait any longer. "Now." She growls in Veronica's ear which causes her to stop sucking at her collar bone.

Veronica kisses her lips once more before, quickly, making her way down her torso and to the spot Cheryl was begging to be touched. She starts with a long slow lick across the clit, and Cheryl reacts instantly, bucking her hips upward. Veronica continues to work, her tongue and fingers working together to bring Cheryl to the brink of orgasm. She starts off slow and light, only increasing in pressure when Cheryl pushes her face deeper between her legs. Cheryl combs back Veronica's hair, trying to help hold it up. (Next time a hair tie.) She rolls her hips in time with Veronica's strokes increasing the sensation.

Just as she's about to finish, Cheryl feels Veronica pull back peppering kisses along her inner thighs. Cheryl groans, she's not in the mood to play right now and damns Veronica and her smug grin for doing so. "Be paitent." Is all Veronica says and she works her way back up Cheryl's body. She leans down to kiss Cheryl's lips, despite the redhead's best efforts to avoid the contact. "I love you." Veronica repeats between each kiss. Cheryl softens after a few lines, she even mutters it back between breaths. Her body humming on edge.

Veronica's hand finds its way between Cheryl's legs again, this time keeping her mouth connected to Cheryl's lips. She inserts one finger inside and swallows Cheryl's loud moan. She pumps along to a slow and steady rhythm, syncing up with her breathing. Cheryl's moans increase in volume as Veronica moves faster. This time she isn't playing around. She inserts another finger once Cheryl's wet enough to signal she's close. Her fingers curl as she picks up the pace.

Cheryl's walls tighten around Veronica's fingers as her body racks in pleasure. Her orgasm amplified by the edging. Veronica slows down her movements to an easy stop before pulling away. She presses soft kisses to every inch of skin while Cheryl comes down from her high. Gently gliding her hands over goosebump covered skin.

Cheryl's ribcage steadily rises and falls as she slowly catches her breath. Her hands unclench, letting go of the fistfuls of fabric beneath her. Veronica kisses her again, a short chaste peck so as not to impede in Cheryl's ability to get air. "I love you." Veronica whispers again before laying down next to her.

Veronica kissed Cheryl's shoulder and wraps an arm loosely around her waist. She traces circles on pale skin as Cheryl recovers. She thinks about how just far they've come in these recent months. If Veronica were told back then that in just a few months she'd be resting atop a naked Cheryl Blossom after making love to her, she'd probably die on the spot for a couple of reasons. One: Veronica _fucks_ , she doesn't 'make love' and two: Cheryl Fucking Blossom? She smiles to herself at the ridiculous situation.

"Why are you laughing?" Cheryl asks to Veronica's surprise.

Veronica sits up to hover over Cheryl and look her in the eyes. "I just never thought I'd be doing this with you of all people. It's kind of amusing."

"You didn't think we end up fucking eventually?" Cheryl says with a quirked eyebrow. "Cause that was always on my mind, even from the beginning."

Veronica pulls back with a light huff. "I'm sorry what?"

"Doesn't everyone fantasize about getting with the new girl?" Cheryl questions.

"Well you've certainly succeeded." Veronica leans down and captures Cheryl's lips again. It's a dance of tongues that feels never-ending. That is until Cheryl jerks back suddenly.

"There's just one other thing..."

"Oh?"

"It's your turn." Cheryl huskily growls as she flips them over.

...

The movie queue went long forgotten as the girls were too busy being wrapped up in each other. Their activities going long into the night as they had the place to themselves this evening and didn't have to worry about making any noise.

(Cheryl has a tendency to get loud.)

They lost count of how many rounds they went before choosing to finally settle in for the night. (That was even before the shower sex Cheryl finally got in on.) Showered and clean, the girls reentered the canopied bed once again donning their matching pajama sets, Cheryl skipping the button up this time.

"You weren't kidding about the night of pleasure and play."

"Well to be fair I wasn't exactly expecting you to take it there so soon, I figured we'd be on Legally Blonde 2 before that started." Veronica admits as they settle against the pillows, Cheryl tucked under her arm and into her side.

"Ah so I'm right! All the movies we watched during our first movie night is on that queue, aren't they?" Cheryl looks up from her nestled position grinning ear to ear.

"Of course."

Her face loses the gloating grin, replacing it with a soft pucker. "You're such a romantic you know that?"

Veronica kissed her quick. "Only cause you make it worth the effort. Your smile alone is thanks enough."

"Cheesy!" Cheryl shouts as she hits her with a pillow.

Veronica recoils with a laugh but manages to wrangle the pillow out of her girlfriend's clutch in order to avoid another barrage after what she's about to say. "I love you so much. Relationships were never something I excelled at, but with you it's so easy. I don't understand why I was ever afraid before."

She doesn't taunt her this time, Cheryl visibly emotional over Veronica's admission. "I could say the same about you you know. And our friends." She gives her a look as if to silently say 'sorry for going off topic' before continuing. "You all showed me what love is. And how creating meaningful connections with people truly enriches your life. Something I never learned from my parents who were all about using people for their own personal gain. When all along they didn't realize the true thing worth gaining from friendships is the capacity to love, and be loved in return."

When it's clear that Cheryl is finished talking, Veronica heartedly responds. "Wow that was...absolutely Hallmark movie worthy." Her laughter resounding through the small room.

"Shut up! I'm being serious here." Cheryl whines as she searches for another pillow to hit her with.

"She says though laughter."

"Only cause you're being insufferable."

"I'm sorry, continue." Veronica calms down.

"That was it, but even if it wasn't you ruined the mood." Cheryl semi feigns hurt, crossing her arms over her chest for dramatic effect.

"Hey don't get your panties in a twist."

"I'm not wearing any remember?" Her eyebrow is cocked and the smug smile tugging at her lips causes Veronica to breathe deep.

"You better be careful cause you're making me want to negate the cleaning up we just did." Veronica sternly warns, not exactly wanting to go there again as she really was tired, however, simultaneously begging for it.

Cheryl considers it a moment. With Veronica inches from her face, it's tempting for sure. She opts out despite herself. "Let's put on a movie then."

"It's already so late though." Veronica groans, slightly disappointed that this conversation didn't lead where she thought it would. What can she say, a girl has needs, and despite the fact they'd been going at it all night, Veronica just couldn't get enough.

"So!? We can fall asleep to Elle Woods taking on Harvard in style but must wake up just in in time to watch her tear up the courtroom!" She's practically giddy, bouncing in place.

"You really love that movie, don't you?"

"It's iconic! And that courtroom scene is in my top 5 just behind the tap dance in Chicago."

Veronica doesn't know how else to respond except by uttering a soft "I love you."

"So you keep saying." Cheryl says as she curls up on her side.

"I'm gonna miss this." Veronica follows suit, curling up facing her bedmate. Her voice soft and low. The melancholy tone revealing the emotional turmoil she's trying desperately to fight back.

"What happened to no goodbye talk?" Cheryl has to pause and take a deep breath to keep her own emotions in check. "I am too, but things won't be that different, and we can facetime every night. We'll make it work." She reaches out to place a hand on Veronica's waist. She pulls her closer so their bodies mold into each other.

Veronica closes her eyes, partly due to the telling yawn that escapes her mouth, but to also hold back her tears. "I have no doubt about that. I just don't want you to go."

"Prepare yourself, cause it's about to get real cheesy." A pause. "I'm always here." She places a hand over Veronica's heart, which causes the girl to open her eyes to examine her girlfriend. "And here." Cheryl continues as she points to Veronica's temple. Veronica's brow knits. "Don't pretend you don't think about me 24/7."

They laugh as the heavy atmosphere around them lightens up. "It's a change, but so was me moving in, and look what good came from that." Cheryl trails her hand up Veronica's body to caress her face. "We should welcome the opportunity to bring more positive change into our lives."

"You really do sound like a Hallmark movie."

"Would you stop?" Cheryl practically begs, not so playful this time around.

Veronica immediately backs off, her hand up in silent surrender. "I know, I know. I just don't want to cry, so I'm deflecting, but I hear you." She kisses Cheryl's palm, then the inside of her wrist, squeezing her hand tight.

Cheryl relaxed at her touch. "Ok I'm done. No more monologues." She inches closer, pushing Veronica onto her back so she can rest her head atop her chest. Her arm wraps around her waist and legs tangle in the others.

"Do you still want to watch something?" Veronica asks as she wraps her limbs around Cheryl.

"Nah. I'm good." She was content with the silence, nothing but Veronica's breathing and quiet heartbeat around them. The sound, much like it did on that first night she stayed at the Pembroke, and every night since, gently lulls her to sleep.

...

The drive to Thornhill was simultaneously the longest and shortest ride of Cheryl's life. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion and yet a passing blink and it was all over.

After blissfully waking up in the arms of her girlfriend, it only took a moment for the sadness to overcome. Cheryl spent several minutes fighting back tears while Veronica slept peacefully next to her. Cheryl was ok with the emotion but wanted to be through with the episode before Veronica woke up. As she lay there with her girl snuggled into her side, Cheryl stared at the ceiling endlessly.

She was caught in self-reflection, thinking about everything that's happened over the past months. From the surface of Sweetwater River to the walls of the Pembroke. The journey was an unexpected turn of events that ended up changing her life for the better.

At the time, Cheryl merely expected to stay the night, or at most the weekend. In those early moments never did she think she'd end up living in Veronica's home, and ultimately referring to it as her own as well. She wasn't sure if her indefinite stay was due to her fear of returning to the cold empty halls of Thornhill, or to her (and Veronica's) growing feelings of love. If they hadn't fallen for each other would she have lived here as long?

The notion of returning to Thornhill and effectively her mother, was always in the back of Cheryl's mind. Deep down both girls knew this couldn't last forever no matter how much either of them wanted it to. She had been mentally preparing herself for this day for weeks now, and yet she still felt anxious and uneasy. Cheryl's bags were packed, everything ready to go, except she was far from it herself.

It was a quiet morning. When Veronica first stirred in her arms, Cheryl had to quickly brush her face. Hoping to mask any puffiness by playing it off as if she just woke up, rubbing at her eyes. She pretended to be in and out of sleep while Veronica rolled around. Moments later she felt the telltale sign of Veronica's body stiffening, knowing the girl in her arms was officially wide awake. There were no words exchanged, only a few lingering kisses before Veronica got out of bed. They chose to ignore the elephant in the room, silently going about their usual morning routine for the last time.

They ate in silence as well after Veronica returned from grabbing 9th Street to go. Neither girl really knew what to say without getting emotional. They figure they'd save that for later. The fact that either of them were able to hold their composure this long was surprising. A little determination goes a long way.

Though silent, the air around them was never tense. It was comfortable. If they didn't know any better they'd say it felt like any normal morning. The impending doom not lingering over their heads but rather off in the distance slowly inching its way from the horizon. Other than the few tears Cheryl selfishly shed early this morning before Veronica greeted the day, nothing indicating Cheryl's departure had been realized.

Cheryl's suitcases sat by the door of the bedroom, she had to borrow one of Veronica's to take home the half of wardrobe she gained from Veronica's closet. Bringing them down to the car felt strange. That's when the nerves started to bubble up. This really was happening.

The drive to Thornhill was simultaneously the longest and shortest ride of Cheryl's life. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion and yet a passing blink and it was all over. Cheryl stared out the window, watching the familiar scene fade away with increasing speed. Veronica turns on the radio.

The music and Veronica's voice filled the car's cabin, helping to lighten the mood. It was some happy pop tune Cheryl has definitely heard before but couldn't for the life of her remember the name of. Veronica emotes with one hand, keeping the other firmly gripped around the staring wheel. Lyrics about love roll off her tongue and Cheryl blushes at the sound.

It's the first real sign of personality Veronica has exhibited this morning. Otherwise too melancholy for words, but music always spoke to her and through her.

Cheryl couldn't help but laugh. It certainly was a drastic difference in behavior between now and some of the first few car rides they shared together. Silence and a tense air no longer the dominant forces surrounding them. Instead they were immersed in happiness and laughter, music bringing energy to the journey. Looking back, the nature of their relationship during this first few silent drives felt foreign to Cheryl. Almost like a whole other lifetime ago, and in many ways that was true.

Cheryl emerged from the depths of Sweetwater River a different person. Baptized to a new life ahead of her, rising from the lowest point possible with nowhere to go but up. The person she once was, no longer held any power, and with the help of Veronica, she was able to become someone else, a better version of the person she once was.

She can't help but imagine how different yet, she'd be without Veronica's support. Had Veronica sent her back to Thornhill after escaping death. Would she still have changed? Would their relationship be any different than it was?

It was hard to say how different life would be had Veronica not been there for her, hadn't helped her, hadn't loved her.

Here she was in the same spot, in Veronica's passenger seat, almost four months later, singing along to a radio that wasn't muted, laughing boldly instead of clenching her jaw tight, holding hands with the driver, not in a desperate search for comfort, but because she enjoyed the feeling of Veronica's skin on hers. Here, on their way away from the place she's called home for the past few months, to the place that once was that long ago.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Veronica interjects, the concern evident in her voice. The song forgotten and volume decreasing as it fades into the background.

Cheryl hums in response, not quite hearing what Veronica said, too caught up in her own mind. "Hmmm?"

Veronica looks from the road to the girl in the passenger seat for a moment, eyes shifting between her and the road often. "You got quiet, is everything alright?"

"I was just thinking about how different we are from those scared girls who didn't know how to be with each other in the aftermath..." Cheryl trails off still not knowing how to refer to the incident at the river, even after all this time, but knowing Veronica understood what she was getting at.

"We've certainly come a long way." Veronica agrees, noting the development over the months.

"Do you think things would have changed if you sent me home that night?" Cheryl asks timidly.

Veronica does a double take. "What do you mean? Changed how?"

"Like would we be friends, let alone dating, if I never spent the night?" She fidgets with their intended fingers before elaborating. "Say I went home, you and your friends went to the jubilee, would things be any different than they were?" Cheryl is terrified of that scenario. In another timeline, would they all really have been so heartless as to abandon her in the moments after her suicide attempt? The thought of it brought an anxiety Cheryl was unprepared to handle.

"I can't rightly say." Veronica speaks after mulling it over a moment. "I'd like to think so, but none of that matters does it?" She makes sure to squeeze Cheryl's hand to offer silent reassurance.

"I suppose it doesn't." She slumps in her seat and shrugs her shoulders. "I just like theorizing about alternate timelines."

"You're such a nerd." Veronica says with a light and loving laugh.

Cheryl moves right past that playful jab, barely even registering it as her curiosity has the better of her. "Do you think you'd still be dating Archie?"

She doesn't hesitate, "No. We may have given it another couple weeks or so, but that ship was sinking long before Sweetwater." The answer brings a sly smile to Cheryl's face, one she tries to hide out of respect for her red headed friend.

They grow quiet as the gates of Thronhill become visible in the distance. For a moment both girls forgot where their destination on this journey happened to be. The air around them feels still, a stuffiness surrounds them as they hold their breath.

Pulling up to the gate, Veronica nervously punched in the 4-digit code Cheryl spoke from the seat next to her. Moments later the old iron gate began slowly moving backward, a part in the middle opening wide. "I'm surprised she didn't change the code. I thought for sure after I left she'd do so in order to prevent me from returning." Cheryl notes referring to her mother.

"Perhaps this is a sign that she hoped you'd come back all along."

Cheryl merely raises an eyebrow in response. She let's go of Veronica's hand to shift in her seat to allow a better view out the window. The yard looked unkempt, the grass needed to be cut long before the fallen snow tamped it down, sticks broken from trees during the ice storm a couple weeks back still littered the ground. It looked untouched by any of the grounds crew, who Cheryl wondered if they were even still employed given all their money and assets are tied up in a drug dealer investigation. By the looks of it, she assumes not.

When the car comes to a stop and shifted into park, Veronica asks. "Well, we're here. Shall we take your bags in? I'll help you unpack."

"No!" Cheryl turns around abruptly in her seat and raises her voice louder than she expected. She swallows in attempt to clear her throat, her voice softens. "You shouldn't come inside, who knows what my mother would do if she saw you. I don't want you getting hurt."

"What about you?" Veronica asks somewhat defensively. Deep down she's still uneasy about this situation, but she will support Cheryl nonetheless.

"Veronica we talked about this." She is pleading, they've had this conversation numerous times before and they always end up in the same place. Cheryl doesn't want to taint the little time they have together before it all changes by going at it another round.

"I know, but if you're that afraid she's gonna get confrontational with me, how are you not concerned for yourself?" Veronica is trying to be relaxed, she doesn't want to do this again either, but she wants to allow Cheryl the opportunity for one last out just in case she changes her mind.

"I am. I always have been." Cheryl takes Veronica's hand in hers again. There's a small sympathetic smile on her face. "But you're more important to me. I'm confident I can handle her now. I'm not that scared and lonely girl you saved from the river. There's a wrath in me that won't allow mother to walk all over me anymore. I promise you that." She speaks that last part with a resilient strength in her voice that crushes any lingering fear that remained in Veronica.

"So," Veronica takes a beat. Her hand curls around the collar of Cheryl's shirt. Her eyes downcast, Cheryl's chest in line of sight. She looks up with a smirk, "you're really gonna make me say goodbye to you out here?"

"Veronica, we are not having car sex, and certainly not in my driveway."

"What makes you-" Cheryl gives her a knowing pointed stare that speaks volumes. "ok fine." She pulls away and falls back into her seat. "Can I at least get out of the car, so I can hug you properly?"

Cheryl nods and exits the vehicle, Veronica following suit. The later girl moves to retrieve the suitcases from the trunk, but the former stops her with a gentle hand on her arm. Cheryl laces their fingers together and walks them away from the car and off into the yard.

There's a small bench in the far corner of the garden on the side opposite her brother's grave that Cheryl takes them to. She doesn't want this "goodbye" to be a quick thing, and out here they can properly lean on each other when needed without a console between them.

Cheryl takes Veronica's hands in her own and begins to rub circles over them with her thumbs. It's difficult to maintain eye contact, as the weight of the moment brings tears to her eyes, but she tries her best to keep focused on Veronica's. She treats them like an anchor to help keep herself grounded. "You know I'll never be able to properly thank you for taking me in. My gratitude is so deep, and words don't feel like enough." There's a pregnant pause, as if she's going to continue, but she can't find the words. A tear escapes the brim of her eyelid and trails down her cheek, the drop getting caught on her chin. Cheryl inhales deeply with her eyes shut tight in effort to keep any more tears at bay.

"Seeing you happy is more than enough for me." Veronica's calm and steady voice brings Cheryl out of her mind. She curls a hand behind Cheryl's ear and gently wipes at the tear stain with the pad of her thumb. "I don't ever want to see you as broken as the day I took you home." Remembering the look on Cheryl's face as she sat out there on the iced over river, clawing away at the surface, Veronica felt herself becoming increasingly emotional. The image of Cheryl at the river haunted her from time to time, showing up in the darkest of dreams like a cruel reminder that she almost lost what she holds most dear. That image, that _face_ , was something she never wished to see again, and she is determined to make sure she does everything in her power to make sure that's the case.

Cheryl manages a meek smile despite the twinge in her cheeks, holding back tears. "You're one of the biggest reasons I am happy. And our friends. I owe you all so much." All of them, Archie, Betty, Jughead, and by extension Kevin, saved her by giving her a new life. They let go of the past, effectively letting the old spiteful Cheryl die that day, but saving the small ounce of goodness on her and nurturing it into a whole new person. Not only were they quite literally the reason she's still alive, but also the reason she's changed. And for that Cheryl was forever grateful. "I didn't want to do this, a big goodbye speech. This isn't goodbye, and it's certainly not the end, so why am I acting like it is?"

"Because it's a big change that's all." Veronica reassures as she strokes fingers through Cheryl's hair. "It's an adjustment we unfortunately have to make, but babe I promise you we will get through it together."

"I love you."

"I love you too, com'ere." Veronica whispers as she pulls Cheryl in close, bringing her head down to rest on her shoulder. They sit there a while in silence. Cheryl let's herself cry, and small sobs rack her body every now and then, to which Veronica continues to rub her hand over her back. Veronica sheds a few tears of her own but she's able to control her breathing enough where Cheryl doesn't realize it. They sit together wrapped up in each other and allow themselves to feel, much like so many times before. It's important to not only openly discuss feelings and emotions, but to also allow the body to properly process them. And so, they sit, and they process together. 

When it's clear Cheryl is all cried out and her breathing is back to a steady rhythm, Veronica breaks the silence with a suggestion. "Let's go out tomorrow, do something to remind us that just because we're sleeping in different beds, doesn't mean we won't still see each other all the time." Cheryl lifts her head from its perch on Veronica's shoulder to look her in the eye. "Pop's with the gang? It's important to maintain a routine." They've been meeting at Pop's almost every weekend, and even a few times during the week. A tradition their little group of friends planned to keep long into the future.

"Yes that sounds wonderful. Maybe we can plan that party Kevin wants so much. It could be an end of semester blow out, to celebrate you finishing finals." The excitement on her face radiates from her smile, and for that Veronica is grateful.

"It's a date!" She looks to the car looking off in the distance, Cheryl follows her line of sight and slightly deflates at the reminder. "We can do this." Veronica affirms, almost more to herself than anything.

"I probably should go in. It's getting cold." Her voice is small and sullen.

Veronica solemnly nods. They get up from the bench and walk hand in hand across the yard back to Veronica's car parked in the middle of the driveway. No words are exchanged as Veronica pulls the suitcases from the trunk. The cool air around them stiffens as they get closer and closer to departing. Veronica helps take the suitcases up to the porch leaving them there as Cheryl then walks Veronica back to her car.

"Call me when you get settled."

"Of course."

"And keep me updated on how things go with your mom."

Cheryl nods. The lopsided smile on her face indicative of the fact she's once again trying to hold back tears.

Veronica takes both of Cheryl's hands in her own. "You're gonna be fine. We are gonna be fine. You've been through so much more difficult times. You're so incredibly strong. You're valid. And most importantly, you're _not_ alone."

Veronica pulls Cheryl closer and places her hands on her own hips, Cheryl takes the hint and wraps her arms around her. Her own hands snake around Cheryl's neck and her forehead rests against her collar bone. She trails soft kisses up Cheryl's neck, all over her face, her jaw, her cheeks, the corner of her mouth, all before coming to land on her lips.

Soft wet lips glide over Cheryl's red stained ones. She can taste the salty tear remnants from before, mixed with Cheryl's cherry flavored balm to create a sweet and salty sensation. Veronica's fingers scrape at the base of Cheryl's hair, gently pulling a lock every now and then. This elicits quiet soft moans from the girl who uses her own hands to push Veronica against the vehicle behind her.

Veronica pulls back, her hot breath lingering in the tiny space between them, suspended in the dry winter air. She knows they should stop before this escalates into something more, so she gently pushes Cheryl back a bit since she's pinned between her and the car and unable to step back herself. The look on Cheryl's face reveals she knows what Veronica is thinking, she nods slightly before going in for a quick chaste kiss.

"You're not alone." Veronica repeats, her voice just above a whisper. A reminder that she's always there for her, she has all these friends now who are also there. She's not the lonely, struggling, broken girl she was months ago at Sweetwater River. She's so much more than that. A friend, a best friend, a girlfriend. Labels Cheryl would have never used to describe herself before. She has people in her corner, people who genuinely care.

Cheryl pulls them into an embrace. Their faces buried in each other's necks. Arms coiled tightly around each other's bodies. Fingers desperately gripping, getting caught in the fabric of their coats. There's a slight sway in their stance, a gentle rocking motion in time with their heartbeats. Its evident neither girl wants to let go as the hug far surpasses any 'normal' duration.

Cheryl is the first to pull away. She whispers a soft "I love you." Before placing another chaste kiss over Veronica's lips. And then she steps back entirely and walks the short distance to her porch. She stands still as she watches Veronica get into her car. She wraps her arms around herself in both an effort to warm her up and to calm herself down.

It's the moment she's been dreading since she first arrived at the Pembroke all those weeks ago. The bridge they finally crossed. Veronica's car pulls away leaving a lonesome Cheryl standing on the porch of her actual home, while her metaphorical one drives away. _If home is where the heart is then my home is where you are_. A forgotten lyric from Cheryl's past comes to mind. It wasn't the Pembroke, it was Veronica who was Cheryl's home, and still is despite her need to be away from it for now. They were still together even when apart, and with that in mind Cheryl relaxed and whisperes to herself. "I'm not alone."

 **A/N: That's all she wrote!**

 **Wow so I'm gonna gush here for a bit, don't feel like you have to read this, but I couldn't end this without saying some things. First, a huge huge huge thank you to anyone and everyone who's been reading this fic from day one! As you'll know I published this fic as a one shot just over a year ago, but y'all saw the potential and wanted more. It has truly surpassed any expectations I had. This fic has been such a huge accomplishment for me as it's by and large the longest thing I've ever written (I honestly don't think I'll be able to surpass this) it reached over 10k hits which still blows my mind! and I feel it has really helped me grow as a writer. I'm sad to see it end, but I'm very excited to be able to focus on other writings, maybe even a sequel of sorts some day if people are into it. I do have an idea for an epilogue, but I'm not committing to writing that just yet to allow me some time to breath. If yall are interested in that please make sure to let me know!**

 **I want to sincerly thank everyone who has ever read, reviewed, kudoed, liked/reblogged my tumblr posts, and shared this story with your friends. I truly hope you enjoyed this conclusion and hope that the wait was worth it! Much love to you all! 333**

 ***Also I wrote smut for this chapter, first time ever, I know I said before that I wasn't super comfortable with it, but I felt y'all deserved a little fun. Please be gentle with me!***


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